Only One Rule
by The Heavens' Answer
Summary: A collection of one-shots and two-shots in no particular order, featuring Aria T'Loak and Councilor Tevos. Ch. 13: Aria is sent to assassinate a turian, and meets some unexpected competition along her journey.
1. Purgatory - Part 1

**01.a. Purgatory**

Venomous thoughts skittered through her mind like rachni pumped up on steroids. The grating tempo thudding through the clinically clean establishment did not help matters much. They called this music? This was nothing like her beloved Afterlife. It was a cheap imitation. Not quite a full on bar, not enough dance floor space to be a club. It wasn't like the rest of the Citadel, but it wasn't gloriously decadent enough to be much fun either (just one more thing that tried to be everything, and ended up being good for nothing), especially if the sofas were anything to go by. The plastic sheen grated on her nerves. Just like the squeaks it emitted when she shifted positions, the skin-tight leather protesting as it rubbed upon an unforgiving surface. So what if they were in the middle of a war? Wars were good for the economy. Though she knew this one was different.

Sheerk and the rest of her guard stood faithfully where they were strategically placed, like knights and bishops on a chessboard, easily deterring every minor nuisance that came her way (well, minus the dirty/petrified glances, but those were something else entirely), and affording her the peace she required to entertain images of the Illusive Man's inexorable and glorious and messy and supremely satisfying demise. She couldn't say she particularly missed Anto, useful as he was. There were always people who were willing to take up the mantle.

It had been a month now, a month of suspicious glances and surreptitious murmurs and utterly dreadful boredom. How she hated waiting. She was going crazy in this pisshole, with nothing to do. She had a little bit of fun last week, when C-Sec finally figured out that the Queen of Omega was lounging around in Purgatory and Shepard came by. A little bit. Ah shit, what was she turning in to? That incident wouldn't even have been a blip on her radar back on Omega. If anything it just reminded her of how much she lost. She was still somebody, damn it. Even if some ballsy piece of shit human took her asteroid away. (And what was Shepard doing? Charity work?) It had been a week and all she had reportedly done was talk to Oraka. The old son of a bitch was still alive too.

Though she had to admit, it was nice to have Tevos pick up her call personally last week. She had almost expected it to be routed to her secretary. Mildly surprised as she was, she even let slip a little thank you. She never thanked anybody. She was glad nobody pointed it out, or had the quad to bring it up. Shepard had a mischievous gleam in her eye though. That irritating woman. Almost like Tevos. Both so self-righteous all the time (and attractive, though she would never admit it). And there it was again. Tevos. It had been a long while. The way things had ended last time left much to be desired. A crazy thought came to mind, wedging itself permanently on the forefront of her consciousness. She tried to dislodge it. But it stayed stubbornly like the stink of varrenshit. Damn it. Was she reading into it too much? Tevos looked smug. More than usual. Then again, that was her face. Or maybe she was just fabricating things and falsifying her own memory because she clearly was going crazy due to being perpetually stuck in Purgatory.

But what did she have to lose? There was no end in sight. If she was going to be stuck here, she might as well try and make something out of it, right?

Mind made up, she snapped at Sheerk. "Get me the asari councillor. Yes, again. Make that face again and I'll warp it so bad you won't be able to emote anything for the rest of your short life!"

* * *

_Um. First attempt at Mass Effect fanfiction. I realize it's going to take me a while before I can write anybody believably or comfortably. But until then, I hope you can still enjoy! Second chapter will follow up on this scene. _


	2. Purgatory - Part 2

**01.b. Purgatory**

"I like you so much better when your mouth is closed," Tevos laughed, flinging out a hand in a half-hearted backhand slap which surprisingly landed upon its chosen target. She even flinched at the resounding smack it made.

A stunned Aria stared at the asari councillor, she was so affronted that for once in her life, she was speechless. Numerous scenarios of responses flitted through her head, but they, like her words, seemed to have flown out of her mouth at FTL speeds when the blow connected with her now reddening cheek, both from the ungodly strike and irritation. "What the fuck was that for?" she snarled finally, with resentment. "You weren't complaining about my mouth a few minutes ago."

Tevos propped herself up on an elbow, the white markings on her face shifting as she tried to decide what emotion she wanted to put on her face. "I know. But then I remembered how long it took for you to actually muster up the courage to call me without needing something from me."

"I did need something."

Tevos sighed. "You know what I meant."

Aria huffed indignantly, rolling out of bed and with a sharp tug, rid herself of the sheets tangled around her limbs. "You told me not to, remember?"

Tevos laughed. "And since when do you actually listen to what people say?" She watched as the other asari appeared to ignore her, disappearing from her field of vision as if cloaked. She knew by the slight hunch Aria adopted that she had heard her, and was simply ignoring the question. Curiosity getting the better of her, she called out after her, "So why did you?"

"Boredom," drawled Aria, flitting back into her room with her leather pants in hand as she continued fretfully searching. "Damn it, Tee! How far did you fling my clothes?"

Tevos' lip curled into a grin at the view as Aria strutted from one end of her room to the other, clearly growing more and more frustrated as her garments eluded her efforts. "I suppose I should be insulted," she said, smirking. "The great Queen of Omega only decides to bed me out of boredom."

"You weren't complaining before," Aria said offhandedly, pouncing upon her underthings when she found them flung unceremoniously over the struggling branches of a potted plant where they landed.

"No. I was obviously busy," said Tevos suggestively, tracing idle patterns with her finger into the immaculately white sheets as she watched Aria get dressed. A mesmerizing sight, for sure. If only because it reminded her of how she got undressed… A confession pressed against her conscience and she hated herself for it, but she knew she would regret it later if she didn't say it, just as she was going to regret it now for actually spitting it out. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I told you never to talk to me again."

Aria paused slightly, then finished clasping her bra, the muscles in her back flexing, shifting around her shoulder blades as she rolled out the kinks in her neck, before she half turned to shoot a glare along with a unnecessarily curt response, "So?"

Tevos' smile vanished suddenly. "I'm apologizing, Aria. What's your problem?"

"Does it change anything?" Aria murmured, donning her leather jacket with a fluid shrug of her shoulders, conscious of the approving look she was receiving from the other end of the bedroom.

"I… I know how hard it must be for you to have lost Omega but –" she began, but was startled to a stop when she found Aria's face mere millimeters away from her own in the blink of an eye.

"I did not _lose_ Omega. Cereberus _took_ it from me," she hissed, her voice deadly and low and her eyes burning with a fury that seemed to scorch the air between them. Tevos nodded silently and Aria perched herself on the edge of the bed like a stranger. Aria had always been scary when she was angry – not the perpetually pissed off state she always wore like a barrier – but really angry. She grew dangerously quiet and gathered all of the rage inside herself to let it simmer. She could practically see it in her eyes. It was electrifying, just like the flares and wisps of biotic energy unfurling off her skin when she was pushed to the edge.

"I was just thinking that maybe it's a good thing," said Tevos, struggling slightly, to keep a tremor out of her voice.

Her only response was an arched brow.

"If Omega's no longer under your control – I can pull some strings, get you amnesty," Tevos explained, feeling a flutter take hold of her heartbeats and a flush blossoming from her cheeks, as Aria fixed her with a perplexed stare. Goddess, she was never this nervous. It was like she was a maiden all over again, like they were back at biotic camp on Thessia all those years ago –

"Why would I want that?" snapped Aria, her fist curling and uncurling in her lap. She knew she should have left before Tevos woke up. It would have been the smart thing to do.

"Well… I was thinking–"

Aria laughed suddenly when she caught on to the train of thought in question, a low and throaty sound that sent shivers running down Tevos' spine. "I don't know what you thought this was, Councillor," her lips curled into a crooked, humorless grin. "But like I said. I was bored. And I happen to know you haven't had any since you took the seat on the council."

"Aria…"

Aria's lips brushed against her cheek in the briefest of kisses. It was so gentle, it was strange. Nothing like Aria at all – she reached out to pull her closer only to find Aria had withdrawn back to the edge of the bed, leaving only a palm resting against the line of her jaw, her thumb brushing across the white stripe on her lips.

"Don't get any notions in your head, Tee. It was just a fuck."

And with that she was gone.


	3. Happenstance(s)

**02. Happenstance(s)**

She swaggered through the door, grateful for the cool blast of air from the acclimatized classrooms as she laughed and joked with a group of equally dishevelled young maidens. They had just come back from a particularly invigorating game of skyball during their lunch break. Lucen's Biotic Academy was aptly named, as the school had a stellar reputation for producing the most powerful biotics of their race. It thus goes without saying that their varsity skyball team was terrifyingly adept at crushing any and all other teams around the entire galaxy.

Aria herself had never been much of a team player, and usually avoided team sports like the plague (she preferred martial arts), but she was never one to back down from a challenge. She had been hanging around the sidelines until the leader of the team from Thessia, a beast if she ever set eyes on one, nearing six and a half feet in height, knocked out all their alternates within the first twenty minutes of the game and Lucen's undefeated Skyball team not only found themselves short a player, but also contemplating for the first time in a millennia, the possibility of defeat. Coach Nephthys' was becoming a bit wild-eyed as the clock ticked away the seconds of the time-out she called, especially since she hadn't prepared any strategy to contend with just one player. Aria was watching, amused from the sidelines when the Lucen's team Captain (her good friend, Basira) approached Nephthy's and suggested loudly that Aria should fill in the last spot. Aria didn't care much for the reluctance in the Coach Nephthys' eyes since she didn't really want to do it, but then the Beast had the gall to taunt her.

Seething, Aria leapt into the fray without hesitation (though she made sure to grab a jersey from one of the fallen players). An hour and ten minutes later, the game was won and Lucen's reputation intact. She didn't do any of the scoring, but her fighting skills were quite useful as an attacker, much to the chagrin of the opposing team from Thessia (serves them right) and their captain, the Beast, who went home nursing a broken arm, a split lip, chipped tooth and black eye.

So, as it were, they basked in the after glory of a particularly deserved victory. Drenched in sweat with healthy, matching purple flushes on their faces, the team and their newest honorary member moved to take their seats as the shrill beeping marked the start of class. The professor detonated a few shockwaves above their heads to gather their attention, the echoes of the explosions vaulting off the high arched ceilings.

Reluctantly, Aria drew her eyes to the front of the class. It took her a few seconds to realize there was someone else up at the front, the after buzz of all the adrenaline still coursing through her veins and making her feel dizzy with awesomeness. It was difficult to listen to what the Professor was saying, but it wasn't difficult at all to study the quiet and prim young maiden standing raptly at attention _beside_ the professor. She was dressed in formal (and nicely fitted) robes of red and white. Aria could tell by the embroidery and the stitching, as well as the weight of the fabric (and the uptight posture) that the new girl (as she was being introduced) came from a wealthy family. Aria looked closer, studying her face openly, since everybody else was doing the exact same. She had pretty eyes, like jade and mercury blended with liquid gold. The intense white markings, and a bold stripe on her lips highlighted her noble features well. She was almost too pretty. Too calm. Intriguing.

Aria watched her walk towards her, hips swaying subtly, tantalizingly beneath the conservative robes…

"Hi."

"—What?" Aria snapped out of it only to find herself face to face with her new classmate.

Lips quirked, the stripe shifting, into a coy smile. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Be my guest," said Aria aloofly, trying hard to pretend she hadn't just been caught ogling. She couldn't concentrate at all on what the Professor was saying. Goddess, how she hated this class. Quantum entanglement was cool, but she didn't see why she had to care about the Rachni. They were extinct.

"I'm Tevos. What's your name?"

Aria quirked an eyebrow as she shook the offered hand. "Tevos, huh? No first name?" she joked, as she tried to keep her eyes away from her face lest she fixate upon something that would offend the other asari. The last name was enough to tell her everything she needed to know. She was speaking to the heir of one of the richest families on Illium.

"The professor mentioned it a few minutes ago," Tevos teased, the laughter in sparkling in her voice as she rummaged through her pack for her datapad. "I guess you weren't paying attention."

Aria flushed. "I'm not very good with names," she blustered in a low voice, glancing back towards the front of the class to ensure they weren't going to get caught by the professor. "I'm so popular it'd be impossible to know everybody's."

"I'm not usually classed with _everybody _else, but I see your point," Tevos whispered back.

"So you're going to be all mysterious huh?"

"Not much of a mystery," she shrugged, flicking through her datapad half-heartedly to the right page of the electronic textbook.

"Right, well I'm T'Loak," said Aria, grinning impishly as Tevos turned to her to arch a brow. "Two can play that game."

A grudging smile touched her lips. "Nice to meet you… T'Loak."

"Likewise… Tevos."


	4. Endgame

_This is a bit of a set up for an upcoming two-shot - because I totally predicted the DLC the minute Aria mentioned Cerberus took Omega and I played to game only to find out it wasn't included in the campaign (this was when the game first came out, of course). Obviously the upcoming DLC will have Aria looking for Shepard's help, though it is uncertain as to whether or not it'll be set after the end of the game or before it. One could make arguments for both. _

* * *

**03. Endgame**

The air whistled with the sound of artillery, the smoke gusting as the gunships and shuttled whizzed by overhead, dancing as they avoided the thick moving columns of the reapers legs and the streams of molten metal that seemed to set the sky on fire.

"Fuck!" snarled Aria, ducking behind a collapsing barricade, wiping a bloodied cheek with the back of her hand, mouth twisting into an grim frown of disgust and exhaustion as she stared at the grime that came away. She hadn't anticipated the strength of reaper ground forces, or how overwhelming they could be just in sheer number of bodies.

The moment of respite was short lived as another line of husks and marauders came around the corner, and a chorus of ear-splitting, hair-rising shrieks pierced the air, heralding the presence of a group of banshees. She grabbed the first husk by the face, her gun hand glowing blue with biotics as she pistol whipped it hard enough to blow the head clean off the shoulders, turning in one fluid motion to keep an eye on the banshees closing in. Holstering her pistol, she drew out her shotgun as she kicked another husk in the neck, her foot following it down until it met the wet concrete in a sickening crunch as she crushed its neck beneath her heel. "COVERING FIRE!" she shouted to a line of Blood Pack rocket troopers, as she charged in with her shotgun, pumping three rounds into the closest Banshee before flinging three marauders away with a backhand blow.

Cursing she skipped aside as the Banshee's claws screeched into the ground where she had just been standing (the fucking thing wasn't dead yet?), gouging the scorched earth and screeching before it was (finally) hit by a trio of rockets and disintegrated into the ashes that filled the air. There was no rest, however, since the Banshee's sisters quickly filled her place with a few biotic hops. She backed away quickly, the recoil from her shotgun biting into her shoulder as she unloaded an entire clip of incendiary ammo into the closest banshee, all the while screaming at the Blood Pack warriors in an attempt to rally them to her side (not that she _really_ needed them, but she also preferred not to die).

She stumbled over jutting debris, falling to her knees as the world seemed to be rent apart by the reaper's cry. The ground beneath her feet shook so violently her vision began to blur even as she continued to pull the trigger, feeling it jolt into her arms like a blow each time. She could feel the battle taking its toll. Her muscles were screaming. Her biotics were flickering. Oscillating between energy levels high enough to obliterate a Brute in a single blow and low to the point where she doubted a husk would even feel the punch. She hadn't planned to be grounded – she had a fucking fleet under her command. But in the rush forward the left engine of her ship (she blamed the krogan pilot) was clipped by a destroyer's withering beam and they crash landed a little ahead of the Hammer forces. And they'd been fighting for what seemed like hours since.

Her vision cleared just enough to see the flashing red light winking at her from a meter away. She stared at it dumbly before thinking _Oh Fuck_ and hastily throwing up a barrier as she tried to leap aside to avoid the blast. Her barrier muffled the damage from the explosion, but not the ge-force that flung her sideways into another outcropping of rock and her shotgun spinning away (she later realized it was the remains of some famous statue, not that she particularly cared), leaving her dazed. She crawled forward a step, shaking her head to try and rid herself of the high-pitched keening in her ear and the black eating at the corners of her sight – but before anything could improve she felt herself being hoisted up into the air, her neck, jaw and shoulders caught in the cage of a Banshee's grip.

She could feel herself weakening. She could feel her body splintering as it crushed her within its grip. She couldn't even reach her pistol, though she knew it was there, pressing into her thigh. She was so close to its face she could feel its rancid breath roiling over her in waves, she could feel the rattle of its bones scraping across metal as it brought her closer to its open maw, the rotting teeth liked charred human tombstones, the depths of its throat an abyssal black. _What a shitty situation._ _What a shitty way to die._ She didn't even want to be here. She had no attachment to Earth and it offered no benefits to her. But she knew there were forces at play in the universe that were larger than anything. And if she wanted to see the future – wanted to live so she could go back home to Omega (and into Tevos' arms – no, she didn't just think that, she was in the middle of dying, damn it) – she was going to do her part so the queen of the girl scouts could do hers and then she could go back to living her life. After all, she did owe Shepard a little bit of a favor…

She closed her eyes and, just as she was about to muster her last ounce of energy (or welcome eternity's embrace, she was a bit disoriented to be completely certain of which), she felt herself falling from a grasp that no longer existed, an agonized screech tearing at the fabric of space and time only to be punctuated by a loud and gruff guffaw in time with a customary shotgun blast.

She peered up at a familiar face. The Krogan's battle worn and scarred face twisted into a devilish grin above her as he offered his hand. "Better luck next time, eh?"


	5. Blood rage

**04. Blood Rage**

_Such a shitty week. Tevos kicked her out of bed for taking an urgent call from Liara T'Soni, and then stopped talking to her after she decked an elcor diplomat for moving too slowly and sent a hanar to the hospital for badgering her for donations. Liara, on the other hand, let her know that Cerberus was tightening operations in the Omega Nebula and traffic throughout the system was down to almost nothing. It was like a ghost zone. It just meant there would be more work for her when she finally got Omega back. Those bastards. Now she was stuck here, in a meeting she called, dealing with the leaders of her mercenary groups. Sometimes she wished she wasn't such a successful criminal warlord, she might be able to find more tasteful company than a surprisingly articulate vorcha and an impotent, balding man who thought he was a gift to the universe. _

"So, you got a plan or what?" Darner Vosque asked, his beady eyes drooping unattractively over the rim of the glass as he tried, once again, see through the skin-tight leather. "My men and I are getting a bit… frisky. If you get my drift."

"I'm still _thinking_," said Aria impatiently, her fingers drumming an incessant tattoo on the back of the red divan. "It would help if you stopped interrupting me."

"Watch it, Vosque," Gryll screeched, batting the human's intruding elbow aside before guzzling some green liquid that looked radioactive. "I'll eat your arm if it touches me again!"

"That'll be the least of your worries, Vosque. One more leer in my direction and an arm isn't the only thing you'll be missing," snarled Aria for the umpteenth time that night. She took a long sip from a bottle of Noverian rum. It was the only thing keeping her cool enough to refrain from blasting him across Purgatory with her biotics. Her hands were _still_ itching with the blue tingles though... "Where the _fuck _is Sederis? I called this meeting half an hour ago."

"Who cares about Sederis? You only need me," Darner Vosque winked suggestively at Aria, whose stare contained such scorching heat that his drink began to bubble and hiss. To his credit, he got the message enough to tone it down for the moment. "No, but seriously. My fleet is pretty much all you need to take back Omega."

Gryll snorted into his drink, hissing through his jagged teeth. "You think you can survive without the Blood Pack? When your machines die, you're useless except for target practice. The Blood Pack on the other hand can last longer than any of you in ground battle, no need for fancy electronics. Totally reliable."

Vosque was turning a healthy shade of red as faced Gryll with a murderous look on his face. "Yeah, well the only time we ever need the Blood Pack is when we want to use some cannon fodder! Eclipse may have newer models, but we've got more and they're _bigger_ –"

"Okay, seriously?" snapped Aria, having had enough. "Enough with the dick measuring contest! I –"

"Well, well, if it isn't the Queen of Omega…" came a rumbling voice from what appeared to be a moving red mountain.

Interrupted midsentence (a rare occurrence) Aria raised one eye at the figure decked out in crimson armor. "Wrex," she acknowledged, amused enough to forget her anger momentarily. She gestured for him to take a seat. "It's been a while. How'd you get your boomstick past security?"

Darner Vosque and Gryll were stunned silent. It wasn't everyday someone had the quad to interrupt Aria and not end up as a pretty smear on the wall.

"You don't want to know," chuckled Wrex as he seated himself gingerly on the edge of the red sofa. Carefully rearranging the position of his shotgun as he did, grinning intimidatingly at the speechless Vosque and Gryll who continued nursed their drinks sullenly after the tongue-lashing, evidently not wanting to incur more wrath now that they had an audience.

"So what brings you to this shithole? I'm a bit disappointed in you. I thought you had better taste, Wrex."

"Ah, I could say the same for you," Wrex said gruffly, with a crooked grin. He shrugged his massive shoulders. "Shepard's stocking up on supplies before we hit Tuchanka. Thought I'd come here and say hi. Heard you were in the area."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Oh, from who?"

"Shepard's girlfriend."

"Of course you did," Aria smiled thinly, turning her gaze to the entrance of Purgatory, where she heard Sederis before she saw her. Her shrill, not-quite-sane voice piercing through the glossy bass beats reverberating through the club. "Finally," she muttered to herself as Sederis drew ever closer, her voice escalating as her proximity decreased.

"—_I WILL GUT HER IF SHE THINKS SHE CAN ORDER ME AROUND LIKE ONE OF HER DANCERS AND DON'T THINK I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT YOU'VE DONE, SAYN! I'll make you pay, just like I've made them pay! It'll be GLORIOUS – there'll be so much BLOOD and it'll be SO sooooo satisfying. _Oh hi, Aria," Sederis sat down primly, as if she hadn't just been screaming bloody murder loud enough for everyone in Purgatory to hear. Sayn, her second in command, hovered anxiously behind her, his large opaque eyes scanning the club mechanically. "Sorry, I'm late. What's the plan?"

"You having a party or something?" Wrex looked bewildered as to all the company gathered.

Aria ignored him and opened her mouth to respond to Sederis, but Gryll and Vosque replied for her in unison. "She hasn't got one yet. She's still thinking."

"I see," said Sederis, giving Aria a look that was half reproachful, half pitying.

Aria hated that look. She hated _everything_ in that moment. Before she could restrain herself, her fist had connected with Sederis' smug face with a biotic punch so powerful the other asari was sent sprawling across the stairs, out cold. It was a testament to the state of drunkenness of those at the club, that nobody else seemed to notice the commotion.

"Like I said, you didn't need her." Vosque snickered lightly and turned towards Aria once more, apparently oblivious of the searing glare warning him. "Come to mention it, this thinking of yours is taking a while isn't it? Why don't you come with me and we'll get more than just our brains working, huh? I've been dying to see that –" the words died abruptly in his throat as he noticed, far too late, the foot hurtling straight for his face. His two front teeth skittered across the sleek metal tiles when he landed, unconscious, with blood dribbling down his chin from his mouth and nose.

Breathing lightly, Aria turned to Wrex. "Alright. That was productive," she said seriously. Apparently mollified, and shedding her anger like a second layer of clothing, she barked orders to a terrified salarian and vorcha huddling together at the other end of the divan. "Sayn. I want you to take over Eclipse and have your ships ready within the week. Please relay the message to this idiot here," she nudged the still form of Darner Vosque with a toe and a look of utter disgust, "When he wakes up. Gryll, assemble the Blood Pack. You don't have nearly enough ships to afford losing any so I only want your _best_ pilots at the helm. Got it? Good. Dismissed."

Sayn and Gryll nodded hastily before sprinting away from the malevolent aura Aria seemed to be emitting, eager not to catch a glimpse of (or participate in) round two.

Wrex smiled, bemused at what he had just witnessed. He didn't know anything about her past the point where they had their fated meeting all those years ago, but he could've sworn she was part Krogan. That kind of unrestrained anger was characteristic of when their berserker's entered a blood rage. He wasn't sure how she would take it, if he mentioned his theory – so he (wisely) kept silent. "That was quite a show," he laughed heartily. "Better than your dancing, I think."

Aria smiled coldly with a backward glance at him. "Keep laughing, Wrex and you'll get some too."

Wrex threw up his hands, in a show of peace. "Whoa, hey, relax. I'm just teasing," he said, placating, only to discover she wasn't even listening. She was punching furiously into her omni-tool. He was only mildly surprised to see a hologram of the asari councillor rise up a second later, with an exasperated sigh.

"What is it now, Aria?"

"So I accidentally knocked two people out –"

"Again?!"

"It was _totally_ justified this time, I swear!"


	6. Taking back Omega - Part 1

_Nevermind. After discussing it with one of my trusted informants, taking back Omega is going to happen before the endgame. It only makes sense. Aria wanted to slap Omega right out of Illusive Man's greedy little hands and she can't do it if he's dead. So._

_The next chapter will be a big one. :)_

* * *

**05.a. Taking back Omega**

Aria blinked groggily, as her omni-tool flashed and beeped in the inky blackness of the room. Curious as to who would be calling her at this time of night, she gently pried herself out of a tight embrace, ignoring the soft protesting murmurs as she unceremoniously kicked off the covers. She padded quietly to the washroom and answered the call in complete darkness, for Tevos was a light sleeper.

"Aria."

"Shadowbroker," she acknowledged, rather politely despite having been woken up at an ungodly hour.

Liara's eyes flickered downward and Aria smirked. "Are you naked? No – don't answer that." She pinched the bridge of her nose lightly. "You said you wanted updates on Cereberus' movements in the Terminus systems –"

"About fucking time!" exclaimed Aria vehemently, all remnants of sleep forgotten as she punched the air in triumph. "What's the news?"

"Well, as you know, since the recent coup attempt on the Citadel Council was unsuccessful, they appear to be in full retreat. My sources report that the bulk of the uncaptured units from the coup have landed on Omega, bolstering the forces stationed there. Also, curiously, there is also quite a bit of traffic between Omega and Horizon."

"Horizon?" Aria was puzzled. "What are they up to?"

"Apologies. That information is not available yet."

"You're a riot, T'Soni," snorted Aria, then grew quiet. "Well, it sounds like an opportune moment to strike," she said, after a moment's consideration. "More people to kill if they're all gathered in one spot, what's that saying - like fish in a barrel?" she grinned. "Yes. I've decided. I'm done waiting. You might want to tell your operatives to get off the station. I'm going now."

"You – you what? _Now_?" Liara looked flustered, then mollified. "Goddess, you're serious. Do you require reinforcements?"

"I've got a healthy sized fleet, thanks to your girlfriend," said Aria nonchalantly, knowing Liara's reasons for asking wasn't exactly completely altruistic. The Shadowbroker always needed agents on Omega. "But thank you."

Liara looked uncomfortable. "How is Tevos doing?"

"Oh, she's fine. Her ego was bruised, than anything else. Serves her right for going into politics. Should have used biotics on that piece of crap Udina!"

"Does she know what you're planning?"

"I hope so! Otherwise she's not doing her job right," said Aria vehemently. "But I don't see how that matters. What's Shepard up to now?"

"She's currently meeting with the quarian admiralty board, hence the reason I'm calling you now. We just got back and I have a feeling we're going to be involved in their war by the end of the hour," Liara sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Well say hi to her for me, and let her know I'll keep the fleet intact so we can take on those fucking giant cuttlefish before they bring about the apocalypse," Aria said with a crooked smirk. "I'll give you both a call when I'm done cleaning house on Omega. You can join me for drinks at Afterlife."

Liara laughed, a pure, melodious sound. "Good luck."

Aria scoffed. "I don't need luck. I have _me_," she boasted before terminating the com-link on her omni-tool and was cast in shadows once more. She sat, pensive, on the edge of the sink, mind whirring as it plotted. She was startled out of her busy thoughts when Tevos called out sleepily to her.

"Aria? Come back to bed."

"I'm coming," said Aria immediately, though she immediately regretted it, feeling troubled. The last thing she wanted to do was crawl back to bed and sleep. Even if it _was _with Tevos. And that was the problem. Tevos didn't want her to go. She didn't have to ask her to know how she felt. Especially if their last conversation of Omega ended as it did. They both learned to avoid talking about their jobs, or politics, since it usually ended up with them not wanting to see each other for days. Though Aria admittedly did like the angry sex, when the arguments took that route.

Well, _fuck_ whatever Tevos felt. She _liked _her (okay, she liked her _a lot)_, but she wasn't willing to give up her life, or Omega. And Tevos was just going to have to live with that. Until then, she just won't tell her. And that way she couldn't do anything about it.

Pushing all feelings of guilt aside, she quickly composed a message to Gryll, Vosque and Sederis.

_Gather your men. It's time._

And climbed back into Tevo's arms. It wouldn't kill her to stay a few more hours.


	7. Taking back Omega - Part 2

_So, this was my take on how I envisioned the battle for Omega would go - I wanted to get this out before the DLC for obvious reasons (I so called the Omega DLC as soon as I finished ME3). I definitely took some artistic license and made up a lot of things, and obviously, now that the DLC is out, I'm clearly way off base - which is only as expected. But it was fun hypothesizing about how it could have gone. _

_Anyway. Aria will have a conversation with the Illusive Man at some point in time. It'll be a separate one-shot. _

_Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**05.b. Taking back Omega**

Aria stood behind Sheerk as he deftly manoeuvred their ship, a sleek black, heavily (and illegally) armed frigate named _The_ _Vengeance _into position, hovering ahead of the rest of their unruly fleet as they all powered down to a slow burn, waiting for their comrade in arms to blink into existence as they exited the relay. They were a motley, but massive collection of ships, nearly a dozen cruisers and nearly forty frigates, with a decent amount of gunships hidden in the cargo holds to boot. Some looked like they were cobbled together with scrap metal, others looked as old as prothean relics. Some newly acquired with tell-tale marks of dents, burns and scratches and the patchiness of unsanctioned repairs. Even a few brand-new ships for which this assault would be their maiden voyage. They may not have looked like a fleet, but they packed enough black market tech and firepower to hold their own against military fleets of each race – if they banded together, as they did now.

"Eclipse is reporting in, Boss. We're still waiting on seven Blood Pack frigates."

She nodded stiffly, feeling the anxiety knotting itself in her chest. Against any other fleet, she wouldn't have even blinked. Most of them may have looked like scraps salvaged from the junkyard of the galaxy, but each ship had serious firepower hidden beneath battered and untouched hulls, the kind of firepower that would never see the light of day in a world of law and order. But Cerberus didn't play by the book either. Those humans were resourceful, even if late to the game. Aria didn't doubt for a second that they had some kind of ace-in-the-hole that would blow any sort of conventional fight out of the picture, in addition to illegal firepower that would match that of her fleet. But that was ok. Fights were never noble. Wars were never glorious. And she liked fighting dirty – she had centuries of experience on the Illusive Man in that area. He just… he just managed to take her by surprise the first time, that's all. She hadn't expected him to have the balls to even try. Fooled once. Never twice.

The comm crackled to life. "Aria, scans are showing sixty percent of Cerberus fighter ships are docked. There are a dozen frigates patrolling just outside the debris field."

"Thank you, Sayn. Even I can see that for myself."

"Ah – apologies, Aria," Sayn stammered over the channel, "I thought a scan would be helpful."

"You're right. And I thanked you for the confirmation." Aria stared unflinchingly at the display, assessing as she waited for Sheerk's signal that the rest of their fleet reported in. They had the numbers, that was for damn certain, even though she only mustered half of the forces she technically controlled – though she was not so foolish to believe that they weren't simply looking for an opportunity to stab her in the back before she consolidated her reign back on Omega if Cerberus didn't manage to kill them all – which is why half the ships she had backing her today, at this very moment, were commanded by lieutenants from her entourage, people who served her for years, those who she could place a small iota of trust in without becoming sleepless. After all, she figured, she'd had some vulnerability over the years which they had to have noticed, so if they were out to get her, then they would have done so before now. Then again, she did pay them extremely well, and knew their weaknesses even better.

Readying herself, she signalled Sheerk to broadcast orders over the comm channel to each and every ship they had behind them.

"This is it, everybody. Cerberus may have had a nice long vacation here, but it's no place for them. Let's make sure they finish their getaway with a bit of a bang and a whimper loud enough the Illusive Man can hear," the sneer grew and she paused theatrically. "As much as I'd like to announce our presence just to see the look on their faces, I'd prefer not to have any one of you idiots messing things up before we actually get to engage with them. On my command, I want anybody with gunships to get in close to the station and unload on their main camp. Blue suns and Eclipse, those of you carrying mechs – I want you to lead the charge on Afterlife right behind the artillery. Blood Pack, dig into the slums. Flush them out onto the surface. Remaining ships, we'll take out patrol, then make a sweep over the docking bay and main air base, drop there and make our way to Afterlife from below. Got it?"

"Affirmative," came the confirmation from Vosque, followed quickly by an enthusiastic "HUA!" from Gryll.

"Uhh, Aria."

"Yes, Sayn?"

"A full-on frontal attack will –"

"_Fuck collateral damage_!" Aria snapped angrily, her fist pounding into the back of Sheerk's soft leather pilot's seat, causing Sheerk to rattle slightly in the harness from the blow. "If there are still civilians on Omega, and they get themselves caught in the crossfire then they are _fucking idiots _and _probably_ Cerberus! Besides," she said more calmly, "If we don't get Omega back there won't be anything left for anyone to fight over."

"Understood, Aria."

"Alright. Let's go and show these Cerberus bastards _a different kind of Afterlife!_"

And so the battle for Omega began.

"_Aria, we can't keep doing this," Tevos whispered, her eyes darting frantically from one end of the hallway to the other. _

"_Doing what?" smirked Aria, pinning the asari councillor between her own body and the door of another anonymous, rented hotel room, before pressing her lips upon a particularly sensitive pulse point beneath the curve of her jaw. She could feel Tevos squirming beneath her, the quickening of her heartbeat on her tongue. _

"_Aria, stop, someone might see –" Tevos managed to gasp as she fumbled to punch in the code to the door with one hand, as the other scrabbled for some kind of purchase as Aria's slipped into her dress. _

The airstrike had gone as planned. For whatever reason, she appeared to have overestimated Cerberus – or rather, they underestimated her this time. Unprepared to defend Omega from attacks in all directions, Cerberus forces wilted against the initial assault.

The patrolling frigates took a few good hits, but ultimately stood no chance against a force superior in number and surprisingly (or not) in illegal firepower. The battle in the skies lasted all of five minutes before Aria called her fleet to disengage with the burning rubble and smoking debris like glittering ash against in the black canvas of space. And so, after ensuring there were no ships left to get Cerberus off the asteroid, she ordered her fleet to circle outwards and ensure there were no reinforcements getting in and onto the asteroid. Then, she took those not needed to keep the ships in the air and hit the ground running.

And this was how she found herself dug deep in the ventilation tunnels, bringing up the rear of three Blood Pack platoons, who couldn't seem to push past a choke point framed by turrets and an honest-to-god wall of engineers and Cerberus troops. Ironically, it was the same point where she managed to take out three Cerberus squads in the same spot on the same day. _Petrovsky was a fucking asshole_. And she was an idiot for surrounding herself with the one mercenary group that picked its soldiers based pure brutality (or stupidity, depending on how you wanted to look at it).

Well, she would use what she had. It wasn't impossible, and she rather bite an incendiary bullet before admitting defeat once again. Ducking behind cover, she motioned to the dozen Krogan warriors staggered behind her, thankful at least, that Cerberus seemed to have wiped the station clean of Adjutants. "You're a school of scum-sucking, fly-eating, in-bred salarians! A bunch of _fucking pussies! _I thought I recruited the Blood Pack, not a grounded Volus bombing fleet!" she yelled down the line, ignoring the insistent chatter of turret rounds chipping at the concrete above her head. "You have _fucking _rocket launchers and you _regenerate_! So get the _fuck_ out there and take out those _goddamn turrets__!_"

The Blood Pack, sufficiently riled, now that she had insulted their ancestry in the worst way possible, began to move. Like a rolling wave of crimson as they moved, surprisingly agile in their rage, from cover to cover to take up closer positions to line up better shots – evidentially wanting to prove that they were indeed better than the Volus in ground combat. The vorcha snarling and spitting eagerly beside her couldn't seem to make neither head nor tail of the rocket launcher he clutched, so with an exasperated sigh, Aria booted him into the adjacent cover and hefted the bulky weapon onto her shoulder. She heard the explosions, the crackle of sparks and felt intermittent pulsing of discharged static hum through the air as the turrets combusted from the impact of multiple shells.

She stood up, out of cover, breathed in and time seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched the engineers huddle and attempt to recoup behind the cover of the remaining functioning shields. She fired once above their heads, she could hear the jeers and the split second where the mocking cry shifted into agonized screams as the pressurized steam burst from the gaping hole in the pipes and scalding water burnt through shields and armor and melted flesh.

_Aria laughed low in her throat, as they both tumbled into the room and didn't bother looking for the lights. "Not anymore," she murmured as Tevos' hand pressed against her shoulder in a futile attempt to keep her at bay, and instead slipped under the collar of her leather jacket, sending shivers down Aria's spine, though she was still undeterred and managed to tug down Tevo's dress past her hips where it fell soundlessly to her feet. _

_She paused momentarily, gazing at Tevos, whose eyes were closed and lips moving soundlessly as she struggled in some inner-battle, a battle whose outcome was already decided by her body, as it moved instinctively reacting to Aria's touch, warm, compared to the cold metal of the wall she was pressed against, goose bumps raising in the wake of her roaming hands over bare skin. "This has got to stop," she groaned, her hands finding purchase in the folds of Aria's crest as the other asari knelt before her. _

"_I concur," Aria murmured, placing kisses strategically down Tevo's navel as her fingers traced meaningless patterns into the soaked fabric between her legs. "No more excuses." _

"_That's not what I – oh goddess –" _

Chucking the rocket launcher back at the vorcha, "Shot guns! Make a sweep and let's _move_!" she ordered, cocking her own as she vaulted over the low cover. No survivors. She kicked a Krogan in the quad for unloading a clip into the scorched, wet and blackened remains, and head butt his buddy when he moved menacingly towards her in retaliation. "Back off," she snarled, as the Krogan staggered into each other. "Just because we're not the ones under siege doesn't mean you should go around wasting ammo."

Stalking forward, she came upon the corner, glancing back to make sure the useless Blood Pack was following her lead. She peered around the corner. "Clear!" she barked. "You! Krogan! Forward! Rocket troopers – get up on those catwalks." They rumbled forward, bustling past her around the tight corner. "The next area has stairs up to Afterlife, if you've forgotten," she called after the Krogan, then turned back to the Vorcha. "It's bound to be heavily fortified, but once we get in it's all gonna be very close quarters. So don't save your rockets."

_She had so many thoughts, so many things she wanted to say. This was so wrong. She was a criminal for goodness sake, arguably the most notorious criminal in the entire Terminus system. What was she doing. Her reputation would be ruined. There was no question. If it ever got out… It wouldn't just be a scandal, it would destroy her completely. It would, goddess, why was she letting her do this. Why couldn't she stop – why couldn't she resist! She was stronger than this – better than this. She would tell her. She could tell her. She'll do it right now - but the only thing that escaped her lips was a wordless cry as her hips jerked forward, and her eyes turned black. Her own fingers curled reflexively, digging into Aria's crest as she tried to pull her closer – a futile action, as it turned out, because there was no distance left between them. She felt Aria acquiesce to the meld, the tingle as their consciousness brushed tentatively against each other, the rush of emotion and sensation that flooded her mind. _

It was quiet as they made their approach. Well, as quiet as it could get in a war zone. The heavy footfalls from her Krogan troops, send small reverberations through the ground beneath her feet in time with the shudders that wracked the entire station. They could hear the muffled bombardment overhead, the whistles of missiles and the ensuing blast of air. The vorcha chittered restlessly overhead, their tongues passing over their sharp grills of teeth with a disgusting slurping sound as they pattered obediently above their pack leaders.

It was the proverbial calm before the storm. Her stomach knotted in anticipation, muscles twitching as she crouched behind cover near the stairs leading to the VIP entrance of her beloved Afterlife. A familiar rush of adrenaline flooded through her veins, there was an eerie ringing in her ears. She could feel the chaos approaching.

_She could feel herself trembling, biotics flaring, and Aria – the rough edges of her arrogance, the intensity of her anger, the sharpness of her focus – the pressure was building in the base of her skull, pushing out all coherent thought, all coherent thought, goddess, that tongue – and those fingers inside her, filled so perfectly – she could feel them stroking, her own ribbed walls closing in around them, engulfed in a slick, pulsing heat – she was drowning in the waves of pleasure rushing through her, each more forceful than the last, she wanted to say – wanted something – what did she want?_

"Kill them _all!_" Aria roared, her shotgun pumping, bolting into her shoulder with every shot. It was utter pandemonium.

Fires raged throughout the station, behind her, beside her, in front of her. She could smell the acrid smoke, the heavy stench of bodies burning, the metal tang lacing the air. Troops falling, hers too – she probably could have taken a more precautionary approach but she was committed, they were committed, there was no turning back when they finally opened the VIP doors, the Blood Pack had rushed forward in one unorganized mass, immediately eliminating the first barricade and the surprised Cerberus squad holding it.

Afterlife was a mess. Pipes venting gas exposed in all corners of the building, sleek metal now corrugated because of the heat from the fire engulfing the station, scorch marks spread across any surface that did not burn outright. Ahead of her Cerberus was caught in a vicious close quarters skirmish against the remains of her Blood Pack units, and the Eclipse and Blue Suns were bearing down from the other side. It was only a matter of time now. Cerberus was caught in an unforgiving crossfire and there was no way out.

_She wanted – those fingers inside her – how many times have they pulled a trigger? _

She pressed forward, untouchable, like a deity parting the mortal masses that couldn't even fathom her power, let alone fight against it. She kicked one stumbling, wounded Cerberus soldier in the back, the force of the blow culminating in a sickening snap as it travelled through the broken armor and the man's spine. The first round from her shotgun rendered one head into a pulpy mess of red, half of which was flung into a burning fire two meters away, the other half smearing across the low bulkhead. The second round blew a hole into a stomach wide enough for a fist to fit through.

_Her nails were digging in so deeply she could feel it in in the back of her own head, let go momentarily with one hand – only to have Aria pin it down beside her in a vice-like grip – how much blood was on them? _

She heard a garbled electronic chatter come from behind her and instinctively whirled to meet a flash of silver with the butt of her shotgun. The monomolecular sword screeched across an equally unforgiving metal, and Aria grabbed the Phantom's head, her thumb digging into the deep groove of the helmet and with a feral grin, detonated warp field in her palm. The helmet twisted in her hand as its contents burst against it, the blood arcing into the air as the solid pieces followed the body to the ground.

_How many has she killed?_

She flinched slightly as a sniper round tore across her barrier and ricocheted into the tank of a Blood Pack pyro beside her. Her biotics flared as it absorbed the heat from the ensuing blast, she turned, chucking what was left of the helmet and the bloody mass inside it at a slowly approaching guardian before pulling the nemesis forcefully out of cover with such force the field sent several assault troopers flying into the jagged metal ceiling, those lucky enough not to be impaled fell, landing with a crunch she swore even she could hear above the din of the battle. The nemesis flailed helplessly in the air, floating closer only to be warped into a bloody mess, the pieces falling with a wet slap into the floor.

_Do you want me to stop? _

_The motions stilled, the pressure receding. The pleasure dissipating. Tevos nearly sobbed. _

_No – no – goddess – don't stop. I – I don't care. I just want – _

The explosions were ringing in her ears, the heavy rush of hot air blowing across her skin, over the leather that clung to her body with sweat – and she loved every minute of it.

_I just want you._

A raucous cheer rose up as the Blue Suns and Eclipse streamed through the now clear tunnel of the main entrance, a rain of bullets pouring after fleeing Cerberus troops as they tried to cut across the oncoming tide of Blood Pack warriors. Aria pushed past the lumbering giants, wading through the sea of corpses, breaking through to the front where she sent a shockwave ripping across the floor, catching the fleeing troops from behind and sending them crashing into the walls and fires where they were picked off by her mercenary groups before they could rise.

The cheer was cut abruptly by the sudden roar of freshly erected turrets, punctuated by rounds from several raptors, the laser sights from the nemesis creating a macabre web of lights on the buried dance floor. She glanced up to the second floor, where the last Cerberus unit had decided to make their stand. And, to her surprise and ultimate satisfaction, her gaze locked with a familiar one. She could see the haughty gaze change in that instant, as the brown irises seemed to shrink and the whites of his eyes expand in panic, and the rest of the fear trickled into the lines of his face.

She was so close she could taste it.

Sweet, sweet victory.

_An incoherent stream of curses preceded a cry with Aria's name, tumbling from her lips as her thighs tightened around her head, nearly locking her in as her back arched and fell hard and fast from grace and into a ruin she could not avoid. She felt Aria's satisfaction through the meld, feel the soft edges of unexpected care as those devastatingly skilled hands and that wicked tongue eased her through the aftershocks, drawing out the sinful bliss until it became excruciating and she collapsed, completely spent. _

It was an almost disappointingly brief denouement. A brave last stand, she would commend them. They picked off a good number of her ground troops, indiscriminate between the Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Pack. But ultimately had no chance against the torrential firepower that destroyed their last barricade. Aria made her way alone up the stairs, tantalizingly slow, teasing them with each second they could not bring her down.

_There was no fight left in her. No will left to resist. She didn't even have the strength to protest as the meld slowly faded away._

When her foot touched down on the last step, Petrovsky turned, the pistol clattering from suddenly nerveless fingers in surrender. The four remaining men around him followed suit.

Aria pulled him down to his knees with sharp biotic tug, generating another with her other hand to shunt his men sideways until they were flung against the back wall, and held there with another field crushing against their armor.

"I would respect you, Petrovsky, had you not taken what was _mine_." Aria said slowly, approaching him, watching with an almost childish interest as the vein pulsed in his temple, her gaze tracking the bead of sweat trickling down his face and into his dishevelled goatee. She paced a circle around him. "I'm not complaining about how you did it, because it got the job done and frankly, I didn't exactly play fair when I took over Omega. But my, how far Cereberus has fallen. How far has your Illusive Man, fallen?" She paused contemplatively. "No, don't answer. I don't want to hear anything from you."

"You've won, Aria," Petrovsky grated through gritted teeth.

"I know," she said smugly, in a low voice. "And because I am kind," she stopped to laugh, the peals of joy in her voice at odds with the devastation that surrounded her, "I will allow you to witness my complete victory."

She cocked her shotgun, letting the heat sink pop out with a smoke and a hiss as it fell to the ground at Petrovsky's knees. With four quick, brutal shots, she executed the last of Petrovsky's troops, who fell lifelessly in a heap as she left the mass effect field holding them up dissipate.

_Maybe it was fate. Or destiny. She just knew it seemed inevitable and she was powerless to resist. Aria had always been an unstoppable force – and she may have been strong, but she was not an immovable object. She could deal with it. She'd just try her best not to think about it – and she had a feeling that Aria knew not to tell her. _

_So when she finally managed to gather what was left of her shattered composure, she pulled Aria up by the shoulders and kissed her deeply. _

"_What was that for?" Aria looked confused when they finally broke apart. "You just spent the last –"_

"_I know. I've decided. I give up."_

_Aria smirked. On anyone else, Tevos would have wanted to slap the smugness off her face – but on Aria, it just looked… illegally attractive. _

Petrovsky, to his credit, was defiant to the end. "Just kill me. I know you want to do it."

"I do," said Aria, sighing as she sank into the red leather blissfully, finally reclaiming her seat on her throne. "But I need a new Patriarch."


	8. Divergence

**06. Divergence **

"Hey Tee. How's the bureaucracy treating you? Illium as nice as it looks in the vids?"

Tevos waved impatiently, perching herself awkwardly on the immaculately clean toilet seat and glancing from side to side furtively in the darkened stall before staring back at the holographic projection of her girlfriend from her omni-tool. "Sh! Not so loud!"

"What? Why?" demanded Aria, thinking it impossible to tone it down as the competition gathered in anxious groups, biotics detonating and weapons test firing in the ranges behind her in a cacophonous flurry that drowned out all but her thoughts of how beautiful Tevos looked, even though the pixels were tearing slightly and she looked panicked. "Where are you calling from?" Aria squinted sideways, puzzled, and obligingly attempting to lower her own voice. "Are you in a –"

"Yes. I'm taking a washroom break. I don't want anyone to find out I'm calling –" The hologram finally seemed to settle as Tevos stopped fidgeting.

"Yeesh. Sounds sickeningly uptight. I bet you're fitting right in, aren't you?" Aria teased, careful to examine what she could see. It had only been a few weeks since she'd seen Tevos in person, but this was their first contact since then and it felt like it had been years – though she would never admit it.

Tevos glared at her, the pixels seemed to burn brighter with the intensity emanating from the stormy gaze. "I'm where I need to be to get to where I want, so yes, you could say that."

"Hm. Well, miss me?"

Tevos' glare softened. "Yes," she whispered, reaching out reflexively before she remembered it would just distort the image. A good thing too, she didn't want to suffer Aria's remarks about her neediness, even if it wasn't true. "Have you had your interview yet?"

Aria's glance shifted, something that did not escape unnoticed by Tevos, as she appeared to be gazing above the projection. "Nope, I'm going to be up soon though," she admitted shiftily, while fiddling with her omni-tool to crank the volume higher so she could actually hear what those lovely lips were telling her.

"Tough competition?"

"By the looks of it? No, definitely not," smirked Aria cockily. "But you never know. I hear Matriarch Israa's executive assistant has got some greasy palms."

"I – you – what? Matriarch Israa? Isn't she –"

Aria nodded triumphantly, "That's right. I'm just outside her estate right now for a breath of fresh air."

"You're not serious –"

Aria sighed. "I am. But like I said, I'm stilling waiting for my 'interview'. But it's just a matter of time. She wants me on her personal squad. She just doesn't know it yet."

"So when you said you were heading back to Thessia for a potential job opening in business you were talking about… about mercenary work?" Tevos winced as she realized she hadn't managed to keep the hesitation out of her voice.

"Hey. Not all of us are cut out for pushing paper around all day," replied Aria, feeling vaguely hurt. "I thought you'd be happy for me?"

"Sure," Tevos shrugged, slightly miserably. "I… I just didn't know you were planning on becoming a commando."

"Well, Tee, I figure it'd play to my strengths." Aria shrugged, slightly disheartened by the disappointing reaction. "I mean, do you see me doing anything else? There's a reason I spent thirty years studying martial arts at Lucen while you were learning how to talk people to death."

"Very funny," Tevos paused. "You're not just brilliant on the battlefield, Aria, you could go into _actual_ business."

"Yeah, but that involves pushing paper. You _know_ I love fighting. And besides, there's good money in it and experience. I could get a spot anywhere I want in any commercial organization after a stint on her squad. I mean. You know how cut throat it can get, you're seeing it firsthand on Illium. In a sense Matriarch Israa does do _actual_ business, as you put it, she just –"

"Gets shot at a lot?" Tevos laughed, but it sounded humorless. There was an awkward pause as they both searched fruitlessly for something to say to dispel it. "Shouldn't you be wearing armor?"

"Nah. It's a little bit unflattering and totally stifling and I like to smell good," Aria replied playfully, without thinking. She felt the tiniest hint of relief when Tevos cracked a miniscule smile, her fingers ghosted across the edge of the projection.

"Well, I have to go."

"Hey, already?" The smile slipped away before she could catch it. Aria shook her head, not wanting to sound desperate but eager to convey her preference for Tevos' company for just a few more moments. "I've still got a few minutes, you sure you can't spare a few more?"

Tevos did not meet her eyes. "The Councillor will be looking for me. We're going back to Thessia tomorrow so there's a lot to do. And I can't let Irissa get ahead."

"I forgot she was the other intern," Aria made a face, then added an afterthought. "The bitch." It was easier than worrying about the things she knew were hovering in the air, unspoken, but ever present.

"Aria, be careful, okay?" Tevos said quietly, bringing her face closer to the screen.

"Call me more, then," Aria quirked a grin.

"I'll try. Don't get yourself killed."

Aria couldn't help, but frown, feeling unease, but unable to pinpoint the reason for it. "I'll come back to you, Tevos. Stop worrying."

"I love you."

And there was the reason.

Aria hesitated, for the briefest of seconds. "Alright, the sentimental stuff is distorting comm link," Aria joked, trying to shake off the discomfort as she adopted a casual tone. "See you soon, Tee."

She wished she didn't see the flash of disappointment flicker through Tevos' piercing gaze before the connection terminated.

"Aw, you're not going to tell her you love her back?"

Aria turned to glare daggers at the other asari, who watched with amusement, arms crossed and leaning nonchalantly against the curved white arc of the entrance to Israa's estate. "Shut your mouth, Vasir."

Tela Vasir pushed herself off the column and quickly slid into step beside an irate Aria. "I've always thought she was really pretty. How long you two been going out? I'm surprised I never picked up on it."

"I'm not."

"Not going out with her, or not surprised?"

"Neither. We done talking here?"

"Aw, relationship troubles?" Vasir laughed, a touch of malice darkening the amusement in her tone. "You know, you probably should be more careful."

"Could say the same for you," Aria said shortly, glancing warily at the two commandos flanking the doorway before they passed through and into the great hall of the mansion.

"You don't want people to know you're dating another asari – and I'll bet your girlfriend doesn't either. Especially since her parents –" Vasir stopped abruptly when Aria grabbed her by the collar of her armor and hoisted her into the air, the blue wisps of biotics encircling her limbs lazily.

"Look, Vasir, mind your own business alright? And don't even think of saying anything because if you brew a shitstorm for either her or myself, I'll make sure you're getting rained on too."

"Relax, T'Loak," Vasir retorted with a dark glare as she used her own biotics to push Aria back a step and drop lightly to the ground without a sound. "I'm not going to say anything. Jeez. What's got your panties in such a twist?"

"Nothing," Aria pinched the bridge of her nose, wishing she didn't care so much about what Tevos thought, wishing she hadn't seen or heard the regret in her tone in the conversation that turned out to be nothing, but mistakes. She wasn't even sure why she was thinking so much about it. Maybe she was hungry and the hunger was making her feel funny things. "Look, don't you have to go prepare or something?"

"Nah, I'm already in. I auditioned in the first wave about a week ago," Vasir sat down on the edge of the large fountain, her armor clinking against the white marble.

Aria's arms dropped to her sides. "Ah, congratulations," she said, trying her best to sound sincere as she sat down beside her old classmate. "I hope we're not working together."

"Hate to burst your bubble, gorgeous, but we probably are. I've been watching all these recruits and they're nowhere near our caliber, so it's likely we'll be getting the best assignments," Vasir grinned. "You know, if memory serves, we worked pretty well together."

Aria scoffed. "That was before we slept together, Tela."

Vasir smirked at the calculated use of her first name. "You mean that was before you dumped me," she gently shoulder-nudged an uncharacteristically despondent looking Aria. "Come on. I'm sure we can manage being friends, no?"

She had to laugh at that. "Fine, goddess, I forgot how persistent you are," Aria said, standing suddenly. "I guess I should head up. Probably my turn soon."

"Good luck," Vasir saluted with a smile, only to be met with rolled eyes.


	9. Promise

**07. Promise**

She stared, willing herself to look and take in the quiet devastation of the room. Forcing herself to picture the scene, to see the events unravel like she so desperately wanted to. Images flashed through her mind as she created them, organized and detailed like the pictures of the intelligence reports she so often perused. She stood motionlessly beside the bed, rooted to the floor as if carved in stone. Any movement would disturb the careful equilibrium she found herself caught in the midst of.

Knife across the throat. Cut wasn't distinctive. Didn't look like it was made by a blade forged for combat. Not that it really mattered in the end. There was just so much blood. It stained her skin. Mostly dried, still retaining enough coagulation to coat the fabric when it floated down upon her, settling quietly, peacefully, and masking the slit that allowed her life to seep away and spill across the floor of the seedy apartment. Through the cover, Aria could still see the outline of her daughter's body, could imagine she was just sleeping, like she used to, bundled so tightly in her covers, all that was ever visible was an imprint and dancing shadows as she shifted in her dreams. But this time she shadows were still. And the blood was seeping through the fabric, bleeding through it, a stark reminder of what it wasn't.

Her fists clenched, nails digging into her palms, the sharp pain keeping her rooted, keeping her grounded as involuntary wisps of her biotics rippled and flared across her skin, the air around her crackling with energy as the sparks ripped through the air like miniature warp fields, tearing apart the fragile quiet that she had almost managed to preserve. Through the burning in her eyes, she could sense in her periphery, the concern etched onto the faces around her, an uncustomary look for hardened criminals, so out of place at a crime scene they had seen a thousand times before. She herself had stood over countless bodies over the centuries. Personally witnessing that last breath of life escape parted lips, the light fading in the eyes, the muscles grow slack. It never disturbed her. She reveled in it.

It just never hit so close to home.

* * *

"Aria?"

Aria could still see the sleep in her eyes as she passed through the doorway. The lethargic movements as she wrapped the robe more tightly around herself as the gust of chilly night air breezed in through the open door along with the Pirate Queen.

Tevos, if surprised, did not show it. The last time they saw one another face to face was over two centuries ago, when Aria had taken over Omega in 1980. She even remembered the exact moment, their last parting words after a night of celebration that ended in tears and bitter resentment that was harbored for years after. She wanted to know how Aria came to find her, how she got through security, but most importantly, she wanted to know why. Questions came rapid-fire to her mind, as it always did, but dissipated when she locked gazes with her former lover.

She was unsettled by her gaze. She expected something, the burning passion she remembered, the piercing scorn, the self-depreciating grin of their maiden years, or maybe the seething anger she always nursed beneath the surface, but her eyes, sometimes icy blue, sometimes a murky violet or a burning azure, simply looked grey. Tevos, without thinking, moved instinctively closer, her hands coming to a rest upon her cheeks and Aria's black leather gloved hands trailed up her forearms, grasping her wrists, the grip tightening until it was almost painful before slackening.

"Liselle, she…" She never expected to hear Aria vulnerable, to hear her voice – authoritative, commanding, sharp and cold at the best of times – break with notes of grief, never expected to feel her tremble, the momentary shudder wracking through her strong, imposing frame.

Ever the consummate professional, despite the aberrational situation, Tevos did not move to pull her closer or away. "Aria, tell me what happened," she murmured, always attuned, even after so long, to Aria's presence, though much sharper, deadlier, unforgiving – it was still familiar – and she was still the same person she knew and fell in love with so long ago. She could feel the weight of her grief seep into the air around them, even without the meld, "Please."

"I couldn't even cry," Aria whispered, her grip tightening painfully once more around her wrists.

Tevos felt a vice form around her chest, her breath involuntarily hitching as it began to tighten as her mind instinctively grasped the source of the turmoil, fearing the worst, but unable to ignore it, Tevos gasped as she entered the meld with Aria, who accepted it without hesitation, felt her own heart tearing as she saw the images burned into Aria's memory, and now her own. She felt Aria recoil slightly as her own helpless rage and sorrow and turmoil, always kept tightly under wraps, flared instinctively at the horrific sight she was bearing witness to. She wanted to direct it at her, but what right did she have to lay the blame?

She could hear the thoughts running through Aria's mind, feel the echoes reverberate through her frame as it feasted on the turmoil she herself had unleashed – not that it was a surprise – never a surprise – they both knew the price they would eventually have to pay in a relationship like theirs.

_I will find him. _

The meld was uncontrolled as they succumbed, and they delved into the dredges of the past. She remembered being there when their daughter was born. She was beautiful. Everything that was pure, and good in the world compressed into one tiny being, one life, a blue bundle small enough to cradle in her arms, the impossibly soft folds of an undeveloped crest fitting perfectly in between her fingers, half of her body resting securely in her palms. She only held her once, before never seeing her again. Kissed her, just once, before she vowed to Aria that they would never speak again.

_They will suffer._

She witnessed, through the haze of memories, all the things she missed, the first step, the first word. The manifestation of biotics, the child was a precocious one. She clearly took after Aria, but she could see the ghosting, faint traits of her genetic code reflected in the young asari, which became more apparent as she grew older. Through Aria's eyes she observed years of training, her twentieth birthday gift which turned out to be first gun. Torn between regret and pride, both swelling as she witnessed her daughter's first kill.

_I will find him. And all those who helped him. _

She could hear her laughter, the dancing maiden growing into a spitting image of herself, with Aria's confidence and arrogance and oozing danger from every pore. She watched the lithe body twist into forms that inspired envy and lust, and the cool, grace upon the battlefield, clearly more at ease with a gun than biotics, fighting alongside the biotic powerhouse that was her mother. She could see the smile carve itself into her beautiful face, the peals of joy ringing out in stark contrast to the blur of bleak despair surrounding them all.

When the meld finally faded, Tevos looked, shaken and uprooted from what had been stability in her life, and saw Aria staring back at her, her eyes regaining some of the icy fire she recognized, but if possible, a thousand times more piercing. They both knew she had not been there, she couldn't be there… but it never meant she didn't care any less.

"I couldn't even cry," Aria repeated, her head falling as she let go of Tevos's wrists and stepped back, leaning against the island countertop, the motion sharp, but uncharacteristically jerky, like a cornered animal. "I couldn't feel anything. When I saw her… what _he_ did to her…"

Tevos didn't know what to say. She was not really sure there was anything she could say.

Aria had a wary look in her eyes, as if expecting Tevos to hit her, when she took a step closer. But when they locked gazes once again, she felt the breath leave her body. She knew what was coming. She knew. Just like she did centuries ago, when things were uncomplicated and she hadn't yet seen killing and the lawless ways of the galaxy and she could be with whoever she wanted. She felt her entire body freeze – or maybe it she was simply exhausted from a week without sleeping - but Tevos continued her approach, and she felt her eyes widen involuntarily, still empty of tears, as Tevos' fingers ghosted across her brow, trailing down the side of her face to cup her chin.

A flicker of uncertainty, a flicker of doubt, the echo of all they had experienced, the two centuries apart, compressed into one microscopic moment in time, passed in between them. Aria, lost for the first time in centuries, had all her clarity returned when she grabbed Tevos by the waist, tilted her head slightly and pulled her closer with one forceful tug – fully certain that there was nothing else to do, nothing else she wanted more in this very moment than to kiss those lips she had not touched for so long.

When their mouths pressed together, time and space ceased to exist and she forgot her pain and anger and helplessness in the nostalgia. It was almost as if they joined in another meld – Aria had forgotten how it felt with another asari – forgotten how it felt with _her_ – the world seemed to stop revolving, and everything started to fade away until there was nothing, but the feel of Tevos pressed tightly against her.

They broke apart momentarily to breathe. Tevos rested her forehead gently against Aria's, her fingers intertwining with the gloved hand upon the countertop, as she inhaled Aria's scent. She felt the leather covered fingertips press into and massage the folds of her crest, and leaned back into it with the faintest of moans. She felt Aria's lips press against her carotid artery, and shape a promise to do what they both wanted – a promise Tevos would never ask for.

_I will murder them. Every last one._

* * *

_Please review!_


	10. Paparazzi

**08. Paparazzi**

From: Shadow Broker

Sent: November 30, 2193 03:46 UT

To: Pirate Queen of Omega, Aria T'Loak

Subject: You may want to take a look at this…

It's going to go public in three days. News stations are bidding for rights to circulate the article as well as live!news coverage when it goes public. Auction ends tomorrow night. There's a lot of money going around…

_HEADLINE: The Asari Councilor – Exposed [pre-release/sent to Westerlund News Editing Division]_

_By Kalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani_

_Since ascending to her seat on the Council, the asari councilor Tahira "Tee" Tevos has always been a target of interest. In the recent years of the Reaper War and Invasion, her dealings with the Saviour of the Galaxy, Commander Shepard as well as her policies and decisions in navigating through the largest crisis in the galaxies' known history have really put her on the map and in the minds of many. _

_But not much is known about the beautiful, enigmatic and extremely private asari councilor, which has fueled intense interest and many unfounded rumors for centuries. This is all about to change because a source claiming to have all the secrets everyone wants to know has stepped forward recently and gave us the scoop here at Westerlund._

_Most of you are aware that Councilor Tevos is very well-connected and can be found attending many political and social functions, bumping shoulders with elites from all industries all across the galaxy. She is known to have a strong friendship with the Turian Councilor Sparatus, as they have been spotted attending charity functions and star-studded galas together since ascending to their seats on the Council. An arrangement that has had many wondering if they were involved. The asari, as we all know, are able to mate with any species and are consistently polled to be considered the most attractive species by all the Council races (even the asexual salarians!). This fact has only compounded the interest in the asari Councilor, and everyone wants to know – does Councilor Tevos have a love life? Does she have a string of on-call lovers? Or has she hidden a secret bondmate by her side for centuries? _

_Curiously enough, Councilor Tevos, if she has had, or currently possesses a romantic life – she hides it very well. In fact, it appeared for the longest time that the fair councillor had remained celibate since arriving on the council. Even her history prior to the political career is very uninteresting indeed. In fact, the details of her personal life is so sparse that many, including several top-notch investigators who shall remain anonymous, suspect she paid very good information brokers to seal up the records and others to keep silent. A wise move, indeed, for as revered as the asari are in Council space, many a political career has been derailed, or a reputation destroyed by sordid affairs and illicit loves. _

_Or perhaps it is less calculated than at first glance. In fact, having such a clean slate makes us wonder, what exactly is she hiding? She may be the first in a long line of councillors – or politicians, in general – whose closet seems empty. She doesn't seem to be hiding in there, and there aren't any skeletons. But seriously really, does she expect anybody to believe one can remain celibate for centuries? _

_Of course not. _

_And luckily, she is a mystery no longer. In fact, our source reports that Councilor Tevos has had an on and off relationship with the notorious Pirate Queen of Omega since their maiden years – yes, the one and only, Aria T'Loak (no, that is not a long string of typos and we have it on record). No word yet on how the council or governments across the globe will react to this kind of alliance, but you can bet they won't be pleased. But the public is!_

_Aria T'Loak and Councilor Tevos apparently attended Lucen's Biotic Academy at the same time, and were even classmates for over several decades. Both their names, are in fact, still in the registry – we checked. Asides from being the top student in her year Councilor Tevos does not have much of a record. Surprisingly, Aria T'Loak was also a star-student, consistently scoring in the top ten percent of her year in addition to being the poster girl for the martial arts programme at the academy. Less surprisingly, the Pirate Queen, was reportedly quite a player as one would expect. In fact, she even bedded the late Tela Vasir – one of the council's top spectres, before she was killed in an altercation with the Saviour of the Galaxy. Our source possesses a recording of Vasir, off-duty and apparently intoxicated at Purgatory, ranting,"T'loak! Fuck it. Don't get me started. I wish I could tell you it was just a fling. It's the only time I've ever been dumped [sic] – but I don't blame Tevos. Though why she gave her up for a cushy seat on the council, I will never know! Hell, I'm not complaining though. Things worked out in the end. Goddess, Aria was good with that tongue –" *note: we will not speculate as to the state of intoxication of the now-deceased spectre out of respect, but you can have a listen at the sound clip **here**. _

_We interviewed other eye-witnesses and related sources to acquire a consensus of a general timeline of the surprising romance and here's what we came up with. After graduation, they apparently continued their relationship up until Tevos became an intern for the previous asari Councilor, thereby starting on the path to the Council seat that she would never deviate from. Aria T'Loak, around the same time, began working for Matriarch Israa, a notorious business woman known for her flourishing success in the drug trade and managing to secure a dominant share of the arms trade on Omega when it was owned by the Krogan known as Aria's Patriarch, before his death a few years ago in 2185 CE. It was a decade later that Aria apparently adopted the alias 'Aleena' and worked alongside Vasir under Matriarch Israa, where the duo became known as "The Deadly Azure", originally an offhand joke, but it quickly became a moniker that was more threatening than comical as they terrorized Council space and the Terminus systems alike. It was during this time Matriarch Israa's wealth grew a whopping 34.7% per year, generating immense returns for those who held shares of stock in her legitimate holdings, several financial institutions bearing the name Israa Investments Inc. a chain passed through the family for generations. _

_By 1880, Aria T'Loak arrived on Omega and began to work under the Krogan "Patriarch", then ruler of Omega. Tevos, in the meantime, rose quickly throughout Council ranks and remained the position of executive assistant to the previous asari councillor for the next century. We can assume they continued a long-distance relationship during this time, as they eventually broke up once Aria took over Omega in 1980. Thirty two years later, Tevos took the seat on the council, where she remains until this day. It is also assumed that due to their close relations, the councilor was able to pull some strings at Aria's request to promote Tela Vasir to spectre status – a move that could have backfired horribly, but Vasir had a stellar record and was often hailed as one of the Council's best operatives. It is safe to assume that the trio remained on relatively good terms throughout this time. It's all about the connections, people. _

_Now fast toward to just a few months ago, in April of this year, The Pirate Queen and The Asari Councilor held a private bond mate ceremony on a little resort on Lucen, with big names like Urdnot Wrex, Commander Shepard, Liara T'Soni and Councilor Sparatus attending. Don't believe us? We figured we'd run into some disbelief, so feel free to check out the spreads from their recent top secret bond-mate ceremony on pages 2 to 4, with an excerpt from Krogan Battlemaster Urdnot Wrex, link **here****.**_

_And it gets BETTER__**.**_

_It came to our attention that sometime in between 1980 and 2012, Aria T'Loak had a daughter – now deceased. It was rumored she was killed in a feud between two gangs peddling red sand on Omega, but the details are fuzzy at best. The more important question is: who was the baby-daddy? _

_Three guesses. The first two don't count._

_Odd as it may seem, given the Pirate Queen's infamous temperament and inclination for domination, it is difficult to picture her as a mother, let alone actually giving birth (what a terrifying sight it must have been, I don't envy the doctor who had to tend to that!) It becomes even more baffling when one attempts to picture the very feminine Councilor as the father of their offspring. One can only wonder how Aria managed to stay alive and in power on Omega throughout such a vulnerable process and period of time. Although, it does not seem surprising that they chose to do it the other way around, as Councilor Tevos would have had her work cut out for her to hide the pregnancy – _

"Aaagh!" Tevos shouted as she was shoved unceremoniously out from under the covers, landing with an ungraceful thump on the floor beside the bed. "Aria! – what?!" she protested groggily, but no less indignant. The mattress shifted slightly as Tevos groped around in the dark, trying to find purchase to haul herself back onto the bed.

Aria held out her free arm to pull Tevos back up, her omni-tool glowing brightly in the otherwise obscure dark of the bedroom, then deftly pulling the screen to the top so Tevos could start from the beginning. "Read," she ordered crossly. "I can't bring myself to finish it."

She watched as the blood drained from Tevos' face and her hand crept up to cover her mouth in her growing horror. "How—?" she stammered, a few minutes later, when she finally looked up.

Aria shrugged, lips pursed as she thought carefully. "I'm going to have a few careful words with Wrex, that you can be sure of."

"But who's the inside source?" Tevos wondered, regaining some of the blue pigmentation in her skin. "He wouldn't know anything about our academy days, or well, anything else asides from the ceremony, right?"

Aria was silent.

Tevos' brow furrowed, dragging the back of her hand across her eyes while yawning, "Sounds like Tela held a bit of a grudge."

"I'm pretty sure she didn't do it on purpose… and besides, she's dead," Aria said pointedly.

Undeterred, Tevos continued, while rearranging herself beneath the bedsheets. "Well then, it had to have been someone she knew, if they went to bars together. And clearly it was leaked before she died, so this article has been in the making for quite a while."

"That could be anyone."

"Why don't you ask the Shadow Broker to look into it for you?" Tevos said, lying back down onto her pillow and curling languidly into Aria's side. "If she doesn't already know."

Aria huffed indignantly. "I suppose it's our only option, isn't it?"

"If we want to cut the chase and stop the article before it's released? Yeah."

"I told you we shouldn't have invited anyone to the ceremony."

"Urdnot Wrex is _your_ friend."

"Aren't you worried about the political ramifications?"

"Of course I am! But one thing at a time. If we shut this down early enough I won't have to!"

"… Who is this Bint-Jilani person anyway and how did she get this much dirt on us?"

"A nuisance of a reporter. She went after Shepard once, then attempted to sue the council for assault because Shepard decided to punch her. Gave her a beautiful shiner. I had to do all the paperwork because we reappointed Shepard as a Spectre like a week before the incident," Tevos sighed, tugging at the covers closer, growling lightly as Aria continued shifting restlessly.

"Hey, so what happens if I _biotically_ punch her?"

"_Aria_."

"Alright, I'm just saying. Not an option?"

Fighting back another yawn, Tevos shook her head, tracing idle patterns upon Aria's stomach through the sheets. "She didn't keep quiet when Shepard went that route. I can't take that risk… Just contact that Liara, I'm sure she has all the answers. And judging by the Commander's history with the reporter, I'm sure she'll be happy to help. Plus, she did send you the article."

"On it," Aria said, pulling up another screen on her omni-tool and beginning to type furiously. "You asleep already?" she asked after a moment, looking down at the still form curled up against her side, the warmth from her body seeping through her skin, a comforting heat.

On cue, Tevos murmured sleepily. "She's going to wish she never found out about us."

Aria smirked lightly. "Hey, that's my line."

"I mean… I hope we can resolve this peacefully."

"No, you don't."

"Yeah… not really."


	11. Black

**09. Black**

She holds it in a bit better than Tela does. Just a little. Hurried footsteps pitter patter away in the darkness, leaving her casting a solitary shadow over the ragdoll corpses of their sisters at her feet. Through the crumbling walls she can hear Tela Vasir retching, hear the contents of her stomach splattering rhythmically across the thin walls.

She finds herself morbidly fascinated, repulsed, but unable to tear herself away. Not exactly focusing on anything in particular. She knows the image will keep her awake at night. But she has to take in the bigger picture. It will be useful later on, when they track down the soulless bastards who did this. She feels the weight of the moment pressing down on her shoulders, feels it crushing her mind, testing her, taunting her. She knows she won't sleep for a week, but she can take this. She knows she won't forget it, but she can take this.

Her mind whispers insidiously to her as she forces herself to study the scene. Israa had warned them, warned them that they were dealing with a vicious group of red sand dealers. And what did they do? She and Vasir had laughed it off. It wasn't just foolish, it was a show of juvenile arrogance, a naiveté that now could no longer exist. She feels like she there might have been an iota of shame, in retrospect, but right now she's not sure what to feel, as she looks upon the bodies of her violated squad mates. Their slit throats slit open like a grotesque grin, the flesh peeled back, exposing the wet, tender muscle, stiff cartilage and bone, soaked in dark, almost an inky black blood, stark against the stains and burns of the soiled mattress.

Tela stumbles back into the room. Aria can hear the floorboards creaking beneath her heavy boots. Doesn't move, when a firm armored grip tightens around her shoulder as Tela mumbles something about leaving. Aria shakes her head. Tela still doesn't understand. Doesn't understand the importance of this moment. Of them, being here, at this place, at this time. They were fated to be witnesses of this crime. This is the world, she murmurs to herself. This is the world we all live in. Lawless, and unforgiving. Brutal and horrific. Air filled with dust and sin.

She feels… strangely alive. Feeling her own heart pump voraciously against her ribcage. The sweat trickling down her brow from the heat in the dingy apartment. The slivers of wood and metal debris beneath her feet. The metallic scent of blood laced upon the oxygen she inhales. She can hear the seconds ticking way, and time shifting around her, forcing change where it need not be forced.

Tela's thumb is digging into her shoulder blade, beneath the plate of armor. She wants to go. But Aria doesn't. Not yet. She wants to take in this moment as long as she can. Because when they leave they won't come back. When they leave they won't ever be the same. And she just wants to be herself just a little longer.


	12. Red

**10. Red**

She feels him writhing, his body convulsing slightly, legs kicking at hers, fingers scrabbling uselessly on the back of her gloves. She can see the veins in his face throbbing, the livid red spreading. The capillaries in his eyes grow darker as they roll up into his head. She lifts him slightly, only to slam him back down, smiling as she feels his hyoid creaking. His breath peters out in punctuated gasps as she adjusts her grip, bearing down upon him so he can look into her eyes and see the satisfaction burning inside them as he dies slowly by her hand.

She's certain she looks like some sort of demon incarnate. She can see the thoughts in his dying brain, the neurons firing sluggishly enough she could practically hear it too. If this well-deserved revenge is the final death that damns her, then so be it. If they were destined to meet in next Afterlife, like they have been during this lifetime, then she would draw an eternity of pleasure from murdering him again and again. She will be an artist, and she will paint with his blood, she'll work him until he begs for release, and she'll torture him to draw out every last breath like the final note of a dying symphony. There is artistry in her vengeance, just as there are ironies in life she's learned to capitalize on. She is not so careless as to do the deed quickly. Just as she has planned for months on end, she is sure to prolong it to the best of her ability. It is only as he deserves.

If only she could have done the same to Liselle's murderer. If only she could have gotten her hands on him. He may still be alive. Maybe Petrovsky knows. She watches him calmly as he struggles futilely to break her grasp, tempted to ask him. She can feel Shepard's gaze burning into her back, in silence, not in disagreement. She hates Cerberus as much as she does. She can feel it, taste it, it's almost palpable in the air – the air his body so desperately needs to breathe. He's slackening, but she can't have that. She can't have that because it would be too easy. They aren't allowed to get off so light. Not if she has anything to say about it.

The breath rushes in, his skin paling slightly as the red fades away for a split second, the most fleeting of reliefs, before her hands curl into fists again, digging into the soft flesh of his throat, the strange scratching sensation of his beard dragging across the leather back of her gloves as he begins to fight her once more. She knows it more logical to keep him alive, to target the main head of the dog, but she can't bring herself to let him go. Shepard's not complaining. She can't say she misses the soft heart or the voice of reason. The only voice she hears is her own. The face she sees are the ones who have taken the very few things she would fight for, die for, in the world – the bastard who took her daughter, and the man dying beneath her, who took her home.

She's not sure she's ever taken_ this_ much pleasure in violence.

But goddess, does it feel good.


	13. White

**11. White**

She wasn't sure she would come. It's been months. Omega has needed a lot of work, a lot of repairs. Aria knows her own her abilities. She is skilled at destruction, and enjoys it immensely. Creation, reconstruction, was not something that came easy. But she can do it, when she wants to. But there was the proud Councilor, standing, untouched, surrounded by engines whirring, machines groaning, bathed in the beams of light tangled across the entire asteroid as it rose, reborn from the ashes of its occupation. A worried look passes fleetingly across her face beneath the shadow of her hood. Curious. Always odd to see the slips of emotion switch on and off the porcelain mask. The hesitation is obvious, to Aria, because she knows where to look. She comes quietly, surrounded by an unruly pack of loyal guards. They were told nothing except to protect her with their lives and were given everything, so they could. She has learned to take precautions, with the things she does not want to lose. The irony was not lost on Aria, that she smuggled in the Councilor on a merc ship.

The stripe on her bottom lip stretches, her hand reaches, grasping, eyes furtive, with mixed wonder and fear. Aria hushes her with a quick kiss, leaving the light spice of Noverian rum tingling upon the Councilor's smile. She tugs her along, powerful, yet eager, like a child. She dares not look back, she does not want a wayward look to destroy this moment she's waited for, the scene she's planned in her head. She feels the Councilor's fingers intertwine tightly with her own, can sense her gaze wandering, all five senses assaulted as Aria drags her through to the backrooms – to her private backroom. The halls blur together in a whirl of darkness and suddenly she finds herself in the doorway to an opulent office in one half, an equally decadently luxurious bedroom in the other.

The Councilor can still feel the primal thrumming music thudding through the establishment like a heartbeat. Like the pulsing lifeblood travelling throughout the station, never dimmed, never softened as long as Aria was here. Her own heart, somehow coaxed into beating in rhythm with it, suddenly jumps back onto its own wavelength. Into overdrive as Aria pulls her close, her lips murmuring calming, soothing things, so at odds with – with everything. But she's not complaining. Not when Aria sits down on the bed and brings her down with her. Not when her hands slip beneath her dress and her skin feels like it's on fire wherever she touches.

Aria loves the way she feels. The way the Councilor just molds into her like they were meant to be. She's not sure what this warm feeling is, unfurling in the depths of her stomach as she breathes in her scent and tastes her skin. She just knows she feels calmer than she has in months, now that she has her in her arms. She pins the Councilor by her wrists, to the bed, and crawls up her body, leaving a trail of kisses as she does. She feels her watching. Wary. She looks up into a swirling gaze of molten gold and mercury and jade and finds herself breathless, like the first time she held a shotgun and the recoil punched in the stomach so hard she was gasping for air for minutes. They don't even need to talk.

Her mouth twists into a crooked grin as the warmth spreads through the rest of her. It's mirrored by a more subdued one. She's learned, over the years, not to take things for granted. Especially not moments like these. Moments people wait lifetimes for. She feels the words forming themselves on her tongue, feels her heart push them off as she exhales instinctively, something she's never really been able to do before. Only fitting. Since it's something she's never said before. Though she hopes Tevos always knew.

_"I love you."_


	14. Armor, Biotics and Guns - Part 1

**12.a. Armor, Biotics and Guns **

"Where are you dragging me, Aria?" Tevos muttered as she tried not to drag her feet like a petulant child. It was difficult. Each step was an effort with the fall of Thessia still weighing heavily upon her shoulders. A weight that would not lessen. It had been almost a month now, and there wasn't much else she could do, she had done it all in the first week of the disastrous news. But it didn't matter, she doubted it ever would. Had her predecessors ever suffered through such a monumental, historical defeat? The question barely needed asking. The continuation of their species was something she doubted any of the previous Councilors had to consider.

Of course, Aria had done her best during the past two weeks after the rush to console her, to take her mind of things. She got points for effort. But no matter how hard Aria tried, Tevos' mind would not be deterred, even as her body easily succumbed to Aria's silken whispers and wickedly skilled tongue night after night. She hadn't objected. And it was nice to wake up Aria's arms. She didn't know how many others could say the same, but she felt safe. Even if she knew it probably wasn't going to last. This was partially why she barely found herself caring even as they were obviously getting lax in keeping things discreet. Perhaps not so fortuitously, the rest of the galaxy was more preoccupied with survival than gossip at the moment.

"Shh, it's a surprise. And keep your head down! I don't want you to be recognized –"

"—Why drag me out here just to imply you're ashamed of being seen in public with me?" Tevos snapped, the edges of her patience beginning to fray as she was jostled back and forth, blind with only Aria to manoeuvre them through the thick crowd. Not that she didn't trust her, but these stupid goggles. She couldn't see a thing. She said as much to Aria before they left the apartment about an hour ago, but Aria just laughed and told her that was what they were supposed to do.

She had to admit the assault on the senses proved to be a worthy distraction as she tried to figure out where they were going. The salt and grease and spice of unhealthy fast foods wafted through the air, mixing in with the sweat and body heat emanating from the diverse mob of alien races. It was difficult to eavesdrop on conversations, the entire area seemed to be buzzing with an energy that seemed to distort any words that even managed to get close to her ears. "You know, I should be the one trying to hide you from my presence, not the other way around," she sniffed, feeling better at the expulsion of the very low blow only momentarily, completely not worth the guilt that replaced it moments later. She tugged unconsciously at the hand that gripped her wrist firmly, which did not show any signs of letting her go.

She felt Aria turning, the hand circling upon her wrist, "You didn't let me finish."

Tevos, about to say more, halted her words just in time to feel surprised as Aria tugged her closer, the gentle motion still retaining enough force to pull her in like gravity. She felt her step forward mirrored as strong, lithe arms snaking around her waist and she leaned close until their foreheads were touching and their lips just barely. "I was going to say that I don't want you to be recognized _yet."_

A hint of a purple blush crept up her face, and the white markings shifted as she tried to rearrange her face in an acceptably repentant expression. Aria had been so good to her, better than she could have imagined, or even hoped for. Everyone was on edge because of the Reaper war, which they could all feel coming to the precipice of an end. Even if she sort of had an excuse.

Aria's deliciously wicked smirk pulled the corner of her mouth upward. Of course, Tevos couldn't see it, but she could feel it against her lips as she breathed in Aria's scent and tasted her on her tongue. She thought she heard the beginnings of a wolf-whistle, but as she perked her ears all she heard was a strangled choking noise and Aria's arm tugging her along faster, impatient now.

Then they stopped.

"Welcome to –"

Aria cut the VI off impatiently. "I know. Thanks."

"What are you doing, Aria?" Tevos wondered idly.

"Setting things up. Here, take this."

"I…" Tevos turned the heavy thing in her hands, her fingers brushing delicately across a hard metallic surface, feeling the grooves in the grip and the warmth emanating from what she assumed was a battery of some sort and… a trigger? She swallowed once, mind whirring as she told herself to stay calm and collected. "A gun? This isn't part of your _other_ activities, is it? You know I don't –"

She heard Aria sigh heavily and a heavy thunk. "You might as well ditch the goggles now, we're here. And while I don't mind undressing you, putting on armor is a whole different ballgame."

"Armor?" Tevos repeated numbly as she reached up with one trembling hand to pull off the damned goggles and fixed her newly liberated vision upon Aria donning a heavily-shielded version of her usual attire.

"Yeah. You're gonna need it. I want to beat Shepard's score."

Tevos glanced around, taking in her surroundings anew. "The Armax Arsenal Arena? You want me to _compete_ in the Armax Arsenal Arena?!" She usually had very tight control of her vocal chords. Years spent on the council honed her skills. But she was alone here, in the locker room, with Aria. She did not care enough to restrain the higher pitched note that snuck into her voice. Not quite hysteria, she was too composed for that. But there was a definite hint of panic.

"Calm down. You're not competing alone," Aria barely glanced up at her as she hefted her shotgun, unscrewing the extended barrel she attached. Again, without even looking she tossed a fitted suit of armor nonchalantly at Tevos, who caught it with a bewildered look. "Oh, give me some credit. Tailored fit. I made sure it cost just as much as Barla Von's super suit. At least we can try to beat that jumped up little volus, that's not too much to ask, is it?"

"I'm a bureaucrat. I haven't used my biotics in –"

Aria grinned, watching her Tevos complain out of the corner of her eye, even as she began to suit up, as grudgingly as she could make it look. "In a few hours?"

Tevos flushed as she zipped up the first layer. "I meant in a combat."

"I thought it'd be good for you. Cathartic. You know. Killing things. Liara and Shepard swears it's better than therapy. Not that I didn't know that before but, I mean. Killing _bad_ guys. Virtual bad guys –"

"I'm going to be deadweight, Aria. Not only biotics, I haven't used a gun since that boot camp you made me do with you back when –"

"Will you stop worrying? I've got your ass covered. If you must, just stand there and look pretty for the crowd and I'll do the heavy lifting, alright? Just give it a shot. You might realize you were always meant to be a commando –"

"—that's ridiculous, I –"

"—and not just in bed."

"—I don't even know what that means," Tevos laughed helplessly as she donned the last piece of her new gear.

She then blanched as a realization hit her, like a polonium slug. "Everyone will be watching us!"

Aria was positively gleeful with anticipation. "Yes, and it'll be in glorious high-definition!"


	15. Armor, Biotics and Guns - Part 2

**12.b. Armor, Biotics and Guns**

"_Aria_, behind you!" The scream tore through the carnage, sailing over the cacophony of gunfire, and clearing the air with a dazzling blast of melodious sound, even in the notes of desperation, like a flash bang grenade.

Aria T'Loak half turned at the warning, the flash of a grin barely visible in the blur of motion as she kicked out behind her, whirling gracefully as if she were on a dance floor and not in the middle of a virtual battlefield. She calmly dispatched the two foot soldiers attempting to flank her and just as she was about to reach the third, a startled cry erupted from where her opponent had stood split seconds before sailing away and bouncing off the containment barrier of the arena, propelled by what was claimed to be rusty biotics.

"Match goes to Aria T'Loak and Councillor Tevos!"

Aria glanced up at the leaderboards, but was not able to watch their scores being processed because she found herself assaulted once more – but by a much more welcome opponent this time. Her body reacted before she could, her arms opening seconds before Tevos' full weight slammed into her, her head tilting a few degrees to the right to accommodate soft lips and a gentle breath, in equal parts relief and satisfaction. The thunderous roar of the crowd melted away as her left hand moved to cup the graceful slope of Tevos' jaw and the other sliding up the back of Tevos' neck, gliding across the folds in her crest, knowing it would cause her to tilt her head backwards, allowing Aria to leverage her height advantage – especially with the boots – and gain better access to her mouth. Aria's tongue ghosted across the bottom of Tevos' lips before she parted them, she could feel the low moan of pleasure purring at the back of Tevos' throat.

Aria had almost completely forgotten about the leaderboard and the scores, and everything around them, until Tevos snapped out of it first and hastily pulled away with an unnaturally coloured – it was almost crimson – blush flushing down her cheeks and even her neck, disappearing beneath the high collar of her tailored armor. Aria, however, did not let her go.

"How'd we do?" Tevos asked sheepishly, her eyes flitting to and fro, embarrassment preventing her from staring Aria in the eyes, where she knew there would be a icy, but smoldering gleam that would set the rest of her frazzled nerves on fire and she knew she wouldn't be able to take it.

"Well," Aria smirked, pushing her playfully away before letting her arms fall to her sides. "We survived the match, but I didn't get to see our score. Oh, and I think you just outed us to the entire Citadel."

"Oh goddess," Tevos breathed, her hand fluttering as she pressed it lightly against her forehead. "Would it be bad if I fainted now?"

* * *

"Aria T'Loak."

"Wipe that smirk off your face, T'Soni, or goddess help me – I swear will do it for you. I will hijack the Normandy and lock Shepard up and find you and do it personally."

"Now is that anyway to be asking for my help?"

Aria flushed, pacing wildly in the small confines of the locker room. She could see Tevos fidgeting with her suppressor pistol out of the corner of her eye. "No. I'm sorry. What do I need to do in order to –"

"Aria, I'm sorry. That match was broadcast _live_. I can't exactly go and wipe the memories of however many hundreds of thousands of spectators, nor can I blackmail them," Liara sighed, rubbing her left eye tiredly with a fist, then as an afterthought. "Or eliminate them. Too much collateral damage."

"Are you sure?" Aria glanced over to see Tevos gesturing she was going to take a washroom break. She nodded absentmindedly, though her eyes subconsciously followed the Councillor out of the room. "I can double the eezo I promised Shepard? You know how important this is to Tevos, so if you can do it, please do. I'm asking nicely here."

Liara seemed amused as she leaned closer to the screen, peering at the older asari with a kind of curiosity she no doubt usually reserved for prothean relics, or Shepard. "I can see that. You're practically begging." She giggled suddenly, and the screen blurred slightly before admitting another face into the screen.

"Aria!" Shepard had the largest shit-eating grin plastered across her face. Aria preferred her surly. They got along nicely together because their temperaments were surprisingly aligned. Not to mention certain practical philosophies when it came to life and death and war, among others. But she wasn't so lucky today. "I saw your match."

"You don't say," Aria retorted dryly, only to witness Shepard's grin enlarge. Any wider and it would split her face in two, she was certain of it.

"It was pretty good – in fact, I don't think I can beat your scores against the foot soldiers. I can never seem to maintain the multipliers. And that one kill, where you were like, surround by four guardians? Damn, the holy-shit quotient was off the charts. I'm really impressed," Shepard suddenly lowered her voice conspiratorially. "But of course that wasn't the _best_ part of the match, was it?"

Aria pursed her lips, sending her best glare through the vid-com, scorching the airwaves so that the screen distorted slightly as it attempted to sync up to the audio.

"Is Tevos near you? Are you still in the locker room?"

"No, she had to take a washroom break, and yes, I'm still in the locker room," Aria snapped impatiently. "Listen, Shepard. Meet me at Purgatory for drinks tomorrow, alright? You can gloat all you want there. T'Soni, I actually wasn't calling to ask you for… damage control. I want to buy information."

Liara arced an eyebrow. "On who?"

"I want to know all there is to know about Barla Von."

There was a burst of static, and the screen fuzzed slightly. Aria wasn't sure if it was because Shepard had burst into uproarious laughter or if the reception down in the locker room was just shitty. Maybe it was a combination of both.

"Why don't you just set it to a higher difficulty setting? Fight the super-elites. Mod their shields. Don't take medi-pacs. I've never seen you use them anyway."

"With Tevos? I don't want to risk her getting injured."

"Come _on_, Aria, she can pretend its Cerberus trying to stage another coup on the Citadel, imagine its Udina or something, everybody loves revenge," Shepard chattered on happily. "She has skills, Aria. Liara was really impressed. And I'm certainly glad I never insulted her, even though I wanted to. Besides, you can always be her knight in sour armour, I'm sure you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Aria shook her head, exasperated. "Shepard, I say this respectfully, from one badass to another, please shut up," turning to Liara, she gestured impatiently. "So? Give me what you've got."

"Well he recently purchased –"

"I know about his stupid suit. I bought one better for –"

"Ahhh, that explains a lot."

"Come on, what? You're the Shadow Broker, for shit's sake."

Liara looked uncomfortable, but only momentarily. Shepard whispered something hastily into her ear. All Aria heard was another burst of static. Softer this time though.

"Look, I'll pay you in eezo. Credits. Weapons. Whatever you need. I just can't stand having a lower score than him on the same settings. I mean, he's a financial advisor and a fucking _volus_, how is it he has any combat experience? I mean, unless he has military experience, but even then, they prefer aerial bombardment, so it really doesn't explain anything –"

A sheepish expression briefly crossed the younger asari's face, but quickly disappeared, replaced with a look of the utmost urgency. "You will not divulge this information to _anyone_, understand? Or I will hijack Omega from you, which would be a pity, since you just got it back."

Aria rolled her eyes. "As much as I enjoy exchanging pleasantries with you, Shadow Broker–"

"He's one of my top agents."

Aria laughed incredulously. "You're shitting me."

"No, I'm not. He actually has a very long history of service. He started under the previous Shadowbroker's reign."

"Alright, well, since you and Shepard are such experts on in this Arena, tell me, what's he doing to get those ridiculous score with such low-level enemies?"

Shepard jumped back into the conversation at this. "Well. He's brings two henchmen. It helps with the multipliers, of course. And it makes it easier when you add on all the limitations, with his suit at all."

"So you're saying I need a third person? What like, I'm not good enough to beat him on my own? With Tevos?"

Shepard smiled ruefully. "Noooo, I'm just saying that's what the rules are. I have no doubt you'd wipe the floor with him toe-to-toe in an actual deathmatch."

"That's not even a compliment."

"You versus a hundred of him, and he has a bombing fleet, then!"

"Hmm." Aria pursed her lips. "Shepard, would you consider helping us out then?"

"Actually, I think Liara might be a better addition. I don't exactly have any biotics, and I think you guys could pull off some crazy biotic combos and explosions."

"You are such a little boy sometimes, Shepard," Liara laughed affectionately, placing a quick kiss on Shepard's cheek.

"But aren't you glad I'm not?" Shepard replied with a cheeky smirk.

"Oh, god, you two."

"Oh shut up, T'Loak. _You_ are the one who made out on galactic television. It's already all over the newsfeeds."

Aria blanched. "Really?"

"Well, a few. Reapers are still more important, but you know. The world has strange priorities."

"T'Soni, how soon can you get here?"

"What, you want to do another match _now_?!"

"You don't know how much effort it took to drag Tevos out here. I'll be damned if I go home licking my wounds today."

"Heh. Licking."

"Very mature, Shepard."

"I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night."


	16. he got the head, she got the rest

**13. he got the head, she got the rest**

She got lucky this time around it seemed. Too lucky.

Especially after the string of operations in the past few years where her share of assignments had gotten her running afoul of powerful galactic political figures (the longest stint being undercover in the office of a volus diplomat) and in the crosshairs of more than one opposing mercenary group at Matriarch Israa's behest. Well, everything had its price, and she found that being the best operative under the matriarch's rule meant that she was doing the toughest missions and spitting in the face of many adversaries. But like anything that had a high risk, it had the enticing rewards to compensate. She just came back from a week spent in Illium's most upscale resort, in their most expensive suite – and even managed to drag Tevos along for almost half of it. She hadn't done as much sightseeing as she had hoped to – but didn't begrudge the wasted opportunity. Tevos had kept her happily occupied…

Anyways. Too lucky. She knew she shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but it just seemed like too much of a coincidence for her to feel completely at ease. Was she being set up? She had given the matriarch no reason to… but there was always someone out there in the galaxy seeking vengeance. She had made a lot of enemies, more than she could count, or keep track of. Now that she thought of it, it did seem that as of late, she encountered many circumstances where her reputation preceded her – something she took with a grain of salt. She was proud, yes, but was not so foolish as to ignore the warning inherent within it. She knew her infamy could get her into trouble, would get her into trouble, someday.

Well, whatever it was, she would be ready. She cocked her shotgun, fingers curling around the barrel more securely, as she scanned the area for one last time before moving onwards. Someone had come through here very recently… they might even still be around. Shrugging, she broke into an easy jog, hopping over corpses scattered across the ground like forgotten paperwork on a bureaucrat's desk. Looked like the work of Krogans, judging by the lack of subtlety and collateral damage. She dropped to a crouch before one mercenary's body, crushed against the wall with its limbs hanging grotesquely off the corner. Or Krogan, judging by the single set of bloody footsteps she tracked through the facility. A battlemaster perhaps? Considering the defences he appeared to have weathered and torn through – even she would have had to rely on clever planning and tactics to blow through them – had they still been alive by the time she arrived. Definitely a battlemaster, she concluded upon spotting the body of a batarian lying in a slurry pool of unidentifiable fluids and internal organs. Only a concentrated mass effect field could have raised the internal pressure to such an extent. Gruesome.

Rounding the corner, she came to the heart of the compound, pounding with gunfire and frenetic shouts. She could feel the floor shaking beneath her feet. The tremors following the characteristic whistle of missile launchers. Curious, and wary, she circled around back, scaling large metal containers and using the network of pipes overhead to get a better look at what was going on. She couldn't see who the legion of mercenaries was firing at. Though judging from the angle of attack, it appeared whoever it was, was hiding behind a few stacks of containers at the other end, deep in shadow. She spotted the turian she was after – he was holed up in a barricade a hundred meters back with a few guards posted as a final line. Close enough to delegate orders, far enough out of the action – at least until his cannon fodder dried up.

With their efforts focused entirely on the boogeyman at the other end of the facility, she decided it would probably be advantageous to take the opportunity and complete her mission while both parties were occupied with one another. Especially on the off chance that the other aggressor was actually competition for her – well. She never lost a bounty yet, and she wasn't planning to anytime soon. She stalked her way over the pipe, careful to keep her balance and silence.

When she found herself perched directly above and directly behind her target's last line of defense, she dropped to the floor with a feral grin, landing in a deep crouch. Opening with two shotguns blasts, a reave and several rapid lashes, she had torn through half of the wall of mercenaries before they managed to completely turn around and target her. One unlucky merc was tossed into the ceiling, where his neck snapped as it his helmeted head came into contact with a steel beam. The other two were slammed into the walls with such force that all the bones in their body broke simultaneously and they rag dolled to the floor. The others weren't as lucky, as they were caught in a fierce biotic explosion that tore them limb from limb and warped the rest into oblivion.

Of course, the fact their principal was in their line of fire by the way she had positioned herself was just a bonus. A group from further ahead had broken off and began to retreat back to where she was causing the ruckus and she send a flare that erupted at their feet, sending the incoming forces stumbling and blind just as effectively as a flash bang, but with biotic shrapnel.

Aria flinched as a few rounds from a heavy pistol pinged off her light armor, her biotic barrier flaring. Wisps of biotics rippled across her arms as she whirled, and sliding forward, she pounced upon the turian. With a biotic punch, she knocked the handgun out of his hand and bringing her fist back to clock him across the jaw. Just as she was about to bring her shotgun around to empty a round into his chest, a neat hole erupted out one temple, along with an anticlimactic splash of blood. Without even checking to see the culprit, she reacted purely out of anger, swinging the shotgun around and pulling the trigger.

A deep rumbling laugh echoed through the now quiet warehouse, save for the occasional groans from the forces left incapacitated, but alive. Aria dropped the turian with a thud, at her foot and crossed her arms. "Well?"

A huge krogan emerged, the scars on his face, numerous and deep. The smaller, shallower ones were latticed, almost web like, as if it recorded the history of his indubitably long life. The tinge of his leathery skin glowed crimson in the dim, crackling lights, battered by the fight that had taken place not minutes before. His heavy footfalls had an almost otherworldly weight to them. His breathing deep and slow and wise. The claymore he cradled in his arms like a newborn was still glowing at the tip, leaving her without a doubt that this was _the_ singular krogan she had been tracking all throughout the station.

"Hand him over, asari," he said gruffly, his gaze cold and hard. His dark red eyes looking almost demonic. She could appreciate the sight he made. The sheer power of his frame and his presence. She aspired to it.

"No. I had my hands on him first."

"Well he's dead now. Unless you're into that sort of thing," the massive Krogan chuckled unexpectedly. It sounded like thunder.

"Who are you working for?" she snapped, stepping guardedly over the body at her feet, keeping it positioned behind her, watching warily as the Krogan stepped closer. His red armor gleaming.

"Confidential information, you know that."

"Well I can't let you have him," she replied, eyeing the beige skin under his jaw and over the collar of his armor. Nerve strike to the throat would be effective, if she could get that close. If she had to.

The big Krogan harrumphed, sounding irritated. "I'd break you in a second, if you wanted to fight for him."

"That's not the point," she snarled, slightly off-put that he had read her intentions so easily. "I need to bring back the corpse."

"Huh," he shrugged. "Well I do too." He stared hard at her, a look that would have intimidated lesser beings than herself. "I could fight you for it. I would win."

"Don't count on it, you old geezer. I could take you."

He seemed to pause at this, as if he were actually taking it into consideration. She had half expected him to charge and head butt her on the spot for the lack of respect. "You must be the one everyone's talking about in the underworld. They're all abuzz. I saw some of your moves. Pretty flashy. You a dancer too?" He grinned toothily and lowered his claymore.

Aria sniffed, only mildly displeased at the joke. "Since you know who I am, what do I get to call you?"

"Wrex. Urdnot Wrex." The battle master held out a large clawed hand.

She took it.

"So you're Aleena, then?"

She nodded, confirming the alias.

"Great. So how do you wanna split the bounty?"

* * *

_Hey everyone! Exciting things happening. I've been playing the ME3 multiplayer for the past two months and a friend and I are collaborating on this series: half comicbook / half fanfiction, based on actual multiplayer matches we've survived through, some of it hilarious, or awesome, or badass, or downright disastrous. Anyways, just a heads up that this is a project I'm currently working on, you can find me on tumblr - link on my homepage, or you can check out stuff (which will be posted soon) on the firebasespectres tumblr account. As usual, links don't work here, but you would use the hypertext transfer protocol and then "firebasespectres dot tumblr dot com." _

_I also drew some fanart specifically for this chapter, keep in mind it's really rough ~ _

_theheavensanswer dot tumblr dot com slash post slash 45358797255 slash he-got-the-head-she-got-the-rest-wrex-meets_

_Hope to hear from you all and hope everyone enjoyed this chapter :3_


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